RWBY: Black Rebellion - Act I
by Starlight's Poet
Summary: Play your pawns. Move your pieces. Call upon your warriors. Bring forth your minions. Send your guardians. It will not matter. This distorted world you've made... I will destroy it all. Bring about your darkened world, preserve your light... I will extinguish them both. Let us start the game.
1. Chapter 1

_**Legends. Stories scattered through time. Mankind has grown quite fond of recounting the exploits of heroes and villains, forgetting so easily that we are remnants, byproducts, of a forgotten past.**_

 _ **Man, born from dust, was strong, wise, and resourceful, but he was born into an unforgiving world. An inevitable darkness – creatures of destruction – the creatures of Grimm – set their sights on man and all of his creations. These forces clashed, and it seemed the darkness was intent on returning man's brief existence to the void.**_

 _ **However, even the smallest spark of hope is enough to ignite change, and in time, man's passion, resourcefulness, and ingenuity led them to the tools that would help even the odds. This power was appropriately named "Dust".**_

 _ **Nature's wrath in hand, man lit their way through the darkness, and in the shadow's absence came strength, civilization, and most importantly, life. But even the most brilliant lights eventually flicker and die. And when they are gone... darkness will return.**_  
 _ **So you may prepare your guardians, build your monuments to a so-called "free world", but take heed... there will be no victory in strength.**_

 _ **But perhaps victory is in the simpler things that you've long forgotten; things that require a smaller, more honest soul. And even then, should such a simple soul fall into the brink of despair, there shall be a soul waiting in the darkness to return it to the light.**_

* * *

 _"May dust be brought to dust, but not bring despair, for there is no futility even in death." -Monty Oum_

* * *

 **RWBY: Black Rebellion**

* * *

The streets of Vale were quiet and dark as several men, all dressed in black and red, marched through them. Any bystander with their wits about them recognized the threat they seemingly possessed, and were quick to retreat. All of them wore black suits with traces of red, namely their shirts or the red sunglasses they wore over their eyes. The one leading the group, however, was dressed differently than them. He bore slanted, dark-green eyes and bright, long, orange hair, with long bangs covering his right eye. He wore a black bowler hat with a red band and a small feather, and black eyeliner. He was dressed in a red-lined white suit and a small gray scarf, complete with black gloves with rounded sleeves, as well as long black pants and black shoes. In his hand was a black cane with red highlights.

Their destination was a simple shop, which was not far from them, as it was directly across the street: Dust till Dawn. They ignored the bystanders yelps and cries as they were quick to flee, and entered the store. At the front desk was an old man wearing a brown apron, his gray hair slicked back, and his form rather somewhat frail. When the man saw the group of men, his body became tense, especially as the orange-haired man waltzed up to the front desk. He took a swift drag of the cigarette present in his mouth, before pulling it away, and gave the man a level stare.

"...do you know how hard it is to find an open Dust shop, this late at night?"

"Please, just take my lien and leave." The old man begged, his hands in the air.

"Sh, sh, sh...Relax. We don't want your money." He then turned to his goons. "Grab the Dust."

The men nodded. They immediately turned their attention to the tubes on the left side of the room, which ran up to the ceiling. They removed the locks on their cases, revealing large canisters. They took the canisters, and then placed them to the tubes. As they did this, the man with the cane tapped his fingers against the glass casing. "Open it." The old man didn't need to be told twice, nodding frantically as he popped it open, allowing the men to grab the various colored crystals lined up.

Some of the men scoured the store for more Dust. But one of them found a red hooded figure in the back corner.

The man instantly frowned, seeing them apparently reading a magazine. "Hey!" he shouted. "Put your hands in the air!" The figure made no response. They simply continued reading the magazine. This caused him to scowl, and march over to the them. "I said, hands in the air!" Again, there was no response. He grabbed them by the shoulder, and turned them to face him, pulling down their hood in the process.

It was a girl, no older than fifteen. She was a silver-eyed girl dressed in a black blouse, a black waist cincher with red lacing and a skirt with red trimmings, completed by a red, hooded cloak. Her entire outfit is made up of various shades of red and black with black as the primary color on the main suit and red on the cloak. Even her shoulder-length hair was black with a red tint to it. She had cross-shaped pins holding her cloak to her shirt. Around her waist was a belt which holds large cartridges in individual loops, as well as a magazine pouch. She has a silver rose emblem on her belt. Around her ears were a pair of dark red headphones.

The girl's face was laced in confusion with music blaring in her ears. The man's irritation was growing by the second, tapping his ears. The girl understood the gesture, and pulled down her headphones. "Can I help you?"

"I said," the thug said, for the third time. "Put your hands in the air!"

This caused the girl to tilt her head. "Are you..." she said slowly in realization. "Mugging me?"

"Oh, for the love of-YES!"

The girl's eyes widened, and let out an 'ah' of understanding.

A second later, that same thug was sent flying, straight past the leader of the muggers, and smashed straight through the window, shattering in the process, and tumbled out into the streets.

Along with him, the same red haired girl landed on the asphalt crouched down. The other thugs drew their weapons and peered through the broken window to see all the commotion. As the girl rose to her feet, a red rectangle on her back unfolded into a large, mechanical scythe. As the transformation finished, she looked back and the thugs, smirked at them, and twirled her massive weapon, the blade stabbing into the ground.

 **(Play RWBY OST: "This Will Be The Day")**

The leader of the muggers looked at the sight slowly, holding his cigarette in his hand before flicking out to the ground. "Well?" he turned to his lackies. "Get her!"

Rather than jumping through the open window, the thugs ran out through the door and rushed the young girl. One of the them took a swing at her, only to jump over the blade using the handle of her weapon as support. She swung her body around and kicked him in the face. The thug's shades flew off as he was thrown back. The girl then jumped off with her scythe and landed on her feet. The remaining goons surrounded her. She held her weapon behind her back, one hand located near the base of the shaft, the other near the base of the blade. Her index finger pressed on the trigger on the shaft. The result was her scythe firing a bullet from the top of the blade, and her using the recoil to swing her weapon and hit another thug into the air. She then spun around and slammed the flat end of her weapon on top of another thug.

However, this served as an opportunity, as another thug came rushing at her with a night stick. One hit to the head would be all that was needed to knock her down, and leave her defenseless for them to take their leave, and perhaps beat the shit out of her for payback. However, he was thrown back, his body crashing into a wall. The force of the impact was enough to render him unconscious, seemingly stuck to the wall for a few seconds before falling to the ground.

"Honestly," a male voice sighed tiredly. "I leave you alone for one minute, and your getting jumped. Your are troublesome, you know that, sis?"

The girl turned. Her apparent savior was standing where the thug had been thrown. He looked to be of the same age as her, and bore a heavy resemblance. Were it not for the fact that he had a masculine tone and male physique, one could easily mistake him for a girl, due to the feminine face he bore. His hair was light black with a dark red tinge around the right side of his bangs, which seemed to cover his right eye. He was slightly taller than the girl, possibly only by half a head, wearing a leather black jacket with purple trims and highlights, bearing a multitude of zippers, and a dark purple hoodie underneath it. Below, he wore faded jeans with dark gray boots with white highlights and several straps along the ankle, while around his waist was a black belt with a silver buckle, bearing a similar emblem, except slightly more stylized, and the belt hung lazily off to the left side. His eyes were very interesting, as the left eye was a beautiful violet, while the right eye was the same as the girls; silver.

In his hands was a weapon nearly identical to hers, a giant overbearing scythe with a deadly edge, only the red color was replaced with dark purple.

The girl chuckled bashfully, scratching the back of her head. "Sorry," she apologized. "Oh, and, on your left."

Not a second sooner, the boy ducked underneath a swing that would have perhaps resulted in a concussion, his body swirling around while his scythe danced in his hands, the other end slamming into the thug that tried to hit him. The force of the impact sent him flying, his body skidding to the ground and landing on his back. The leader shook his head, almost slightly disappointed. "Worth every cent," he said, albeit with a sarcastic tone. "Truly, you were."

He looked back at the two kids who had decided to throw a wrench in his little plans.

"Well, Red...and Princess." He begun.

"Hey!"

"I think we can all say it's been an eventful evening." He dropped his cigar and crushed it beneath his cane. "And as much as I'd love to stick around." He then raised his cane and aimed it at the two. "I'm afraid this..." The bottom of the cane popped of, revealing a cross-hair and a gun barrel. "...is where we part ways." A massive flare shot out of the barrel.

The girl swung her scythe, deflecting the blast, but the second one came almost too fast for her liking. Thankfully, the boy intervened, deflecting it with his own scythe. When the two looked up, however, the man was gone, replaced with a stunned, and still shaking old man. They frowned heavily, searching the grounds before finding the man climbing up the fire escape to a nearby building. The girl quickly turned to the old shopkeeper.

"Mind if we go after him?"

Strangely, they didn't even bother waiting for a reply, and chased after him.

The man finished climbing the fire escape and hopped onto the roof. Both teens used the recoil from their weapons to immediately catch up to him.

"Hey!" The girl called out to the man walking away.

The man in white ceased his walk and clicked his tongue without even turning. "Tch. Persistent little bunch."

The boy and girl readied themselves to rush at him. But the whirring of an airship grabbed took them off guard.

The boy frowned as, sure enough, and true to the sound, a silver aircraft appeared just behind the man, rising up from below. The orange-haired man tipped his hat to the two, a smug grin on his face as the carrier's hatch opened up, allowing him to jump inside. "End of the line, boys and girls!" he said with a smirk as he tossed something at their feet, and then took aim. It only took a second for the boy to realize what was at their feet before he scowled, and made a move to get the girl out of the way.

Unfortunately, it was too late. The man took aim, and fired off another round, going straight for the red Dust crystal that laid at their feet. A second later, a loud "BOOM!" echoed into the air, followed by a red burst of flames and cloud that rose into the air. "Whoa-ho-ho!" the man whooped in joy, grinning at his handiwork before he frowned in confusion, seeing something off.

As the smoke cleared, the two were shown to be unharmed. In front of them was a middle-aged woman with light-blonde hair tied back in a bun with a curl hanging down the right side of her face. Her eyes were bright green and she wore thin ovular glasses. She had teal hanging earrings with a small bead identical to her earrings on her collar. She wore white long-sleeved suit that exposed part of her chest, and tight puffy sleeves near the wrist before spreading back out near her hands. Her lower attire was a black business skirt with buttons running in a vertical line up the front of it and lighter black-brown stockings. She also had black boots with brown heels, and a tattered purple cape with black on the outside, decorated by a row of diamond-shaped brown beads going horizontally across it. Above this was a line of beads appears an emblem of a tiara. In her hands was what appeared to be a riding crop.

In front of her were dancing, purple runes in the form of a circle.

"...Ah shit." The man cursed. He then moved further into the airship. "We got a huntress!" He called out to the pilot.

The woman pushed up her glasses as the runes faded away. With a swing of her riding crop, streams of light launched forward, dancing and curling around in the air as they struck into the carrier, causing the man to tumble slightly, losing his cane in the process. The apparent pilot was quick to leave the cockpit, leaving the man to jump in. The woman did not let up, however, as another runic circle danced above them, creating violet, black clouds. The man looked around in confusion. "The hell...?" With another swing of the crop, shards of ice came raining down, several of them striking into the carrier, though none had truly damaged it. One had nearly hit the man in the head as he quickly ducked underneath it, instead piercing metal rather than flesh and bone.

The pilot of the carrier stepped into open view. Their form was relatively obscured to the three on the roof, however, as the shadows hid the upper part of their body. They were obviously female, evident by the red dress and heels they were. They were slightly illuminated by the fierce, glowering light reflected in her eyes, as well as the markings that danced along her arms. Flames seemed to dance around her hands as she launched a ball of flame at the blonde. In retaliation, she swung her crop, dispersing the flame, though small embers pierced into the ground. The woman in red flicked her hands up, causing the embers around the blonde woman's feet to burn brightly. A high-pitched whistling sound pierced into the air as the Huntress seemed to recognize the danger, and jumped back. The ground she once stood on exploded, leaving behind shattered remains of debris.

Using this, the woman flicked her crop once again. A purple light danced around the debris as they began to lift and gather together, creating a spear. She aimed her riding crop at the woman in red, and sent it flying. Her opponent was quick to retaliate as she launched smaller flames at the spear, which caused the sharp pieces to disperse, only to gather again once more and continue it's assault. The man, recognizing the danger of what would happen if it hit, tilted the carrier. The stream of debris instead scraped along the roof. With a wave of the riding crop, the Huntress dispersed the spear, and formed three streams of sharp debris, which served to dance all around the carrier with the intent of skewering it from all sides.

The woman in red's eyes flared along with the markings as she crossed her arms, flames dancing around her. She swung her arms, and the flames were released. In seconds, all three streams of debris were destroyed instantly, left only to be mere flecks of embers. The Huntress scowled, seeing that her efforts were seemingly futile, but the two children beside her weren't about to let them get away so easily. Their scythes folded away, revealing the barrel of their guns, and began to open fire.

Each and every bullet was knocked away by the woman in red before she aimed her palm at the three. A red light began to dance beneath their feet as the same sound from before echoed. The Huntress, as well as the boy, recognized the danger, and moved. The blonde leaped away while the boy grabbed the girl, pulling her by the arm as they ran, knocked to their feet as the ground exploded. They could only watch as the woman in red disappeared as the hatch closed, and the carrier flying away. The blonde glared at the retreating form, clearly not pleased with the fact that two criminals had been allowed to escape. Oh well, she supposed it didn't matter. After all, they had the hired scum down below to get all the answers she needed.

"You're a Huntress!" the girl in red exclaimed excitedly as the woman then turned her attention to the two. The boy merely sighed, apparently recognizing what kind of trouble they were in, and promptly face-palmed as the girl stared at the woman with absolute awe and admiration. "Can I have your autograph?!"

The woman gave her a flat look.

 **-RWBY: Black Rebellion-**

"I hope you two realize that your actions tonight will NOT be taken lightly." The blonde woman stated as she paced around the teenagers. The girl and boy were currently seated at a metal table in a small interrogation room with only a single overhead lamp illuminating the space. "You put yourselves and others in great danger."

"But they started it!" The girl argued.

The woman went around the table carrying a scroll in her hand, apparently reading some sort of report. "If it were up to me, you'd be sent home with a pat on the back..." The girl suddenly looked slightly hopeful while the boy merely read the small notebook in his grasp. The woman turned her attention to them with a glare. "And a slap on the wrist." To emphasize the last one, she slammed her riding crop at the table, causing the girl to recoil in her seat while the boy nearly lost his notebook from the sudden movement of the girl.

"But," she continued. "There is someone here who would like to meet you both." The girl raised her eyebrow in confusion, wondering who would want to talk to her, while the boy looked up in interest. As the Huntress moved away, someone else entered the room. It was a middle-aged man with tousled gray hair and thin brown eyes. He had a light complexion and sharp facial features, and wore shaded glass spectacles and a dark-green scarf with a small, purple, cross-shaped emblem on it. His outfit mainly consisted of an unzipped black suit over a buttoned vest and green undershirt. He also wore black trouser shoes and long, dark-green pants. In one hand was a plate of cookies, and in the other was a white mug with an emblem inscribed on it.

The two immediately recognized him, and apparently, he recognized them in turn.

"Ruby Rose... and Rouge Rose..." He leaned forward to take a closer look at the two. His attention was focused on Ruby first. "You... have silver eyes." He then turned to Rouge, who stared back at him. "...And you have violet and silver eyes."

Ruby felt slightly confused, and uncomfortable, as she raised her eyebrow further. "Uh..."

"So," he leaned back as he set the plate of cookies down while the blonde-haired woman held up her scroll, revealing the two's battle with the orange-haired criminal from before. "Where did the two of you learn to do this?"

"Signal Academy." Rouge answered.

This, of course, caused the man to look both curious, amused, and also slightly amazed. "They taught you to use one of the most dangerous weapons ever designed?" he asked.

"W-well," Ruby cut in. "One teacher in particular."

"I see..." He smiled, amusingly so, as he watched Ruby slowly reach out for one of the cookies, taking a slow bite. As soon as she did, however, she hastily began to devour every cookie on the plate, while Rouge rolled his eyes at the sight, clearly exasperated by his sister's antics. "It's just that I've only seen one other scythe-wielder of that skill before." He chuckled fondly. "A dusty old crow."

"Mmm!" Ruby hummed with food still present in her mouth. "Thash muh unkul!"

The blonde haired woman gave her a critical glare, causing her to squirm underneath her gaze while Rouge translated. "That's our uncle, Qrow." he stated as he put his notebook away. "He's a teacher at Signal."

Ruby gulped down the food in her mouth, wiping away the crumbs on her face as she smiled. "I was complete garbage before he took me under his wing." she told the man. "I'm not like my younger brother, here. Unlike me, he's the one who's really good with a scythe, even before Uncle Qrow decided to teach us."

The man raised an eyebrow. "Younger brother?" he questioned. "From my point of view, you two look to be the same age."

Rouge sighed. "Six minutes and forty five seconds apart, to be exact."

"Yeah! What he said!" Ruby nodded before pouting. "Although people keep assuming he's the older sibling when they see us together..."

"Well, given your behavior, that is what most people would assume." Rouge stated coolly.

Ruby shot her brother a glare before turning back to the man. "But, yeah, now we're all like HOOOWAAAH!" she made exaggerated, kung-fu sounds as she swung her arms like a cheesy martial artist.

The man chuckled. "So I've noticed." he said as he set his mug of coffee down. "And what is an adorable girl and a young man like yourselves doing at a school designed to train warriors?"

"Well...I want to be a Huntress." Ruby answered honestly.

"I desire to be a Huntsman like my parents and Uncle." Rouge responded. "And to keep a promise..." He muttered to himself softly, so as to Ruby wouldn't hear it. But Ozpin had taken note of what he said.

"So you want to slay monsters?"

"Yeah." The girl nodded. "Rouge and I only have two more years of training left at Signal. Then we're going to apply to Beacon. See, our sister's started this year and she's trying to become a Huntress and I'm trying to become a Huntress and Rouge is trying to become a Huntsman because we wanna help people. And our parents always taught us to help others so we thought, 'Oh well, might as well make a career outta it'. I mean the police are alight. But Huntresses and Huntsmen are so much more romantic and exciting and cool and just...Kyah!"

Rouge sighed. "You'll have to forgive her," he told the two adults, who gave her varied reactions. The man looked vastly amused, while the woman seemed to be rather irritated. "She gets quite excited and starts to ramble."

"Hm, noted." the man said idly as he clasped his hands together. "Do you know who I am?"

"You're professor Ozpin." Ruby said with complete awe in her voice, staring at the man with complete and utter admiration, for in front of her and her brother was the man who founded a school that trained the very warrior she aspired to be. "You're the headmaster of Beacon."

Ozpin smiled. "Hello."

"Nice to meet you." Ruby bowed her head.

Rouge nodded back respectfully. "A pleasure to meet you."

Ozpin rested his hands on the metal table top and leaned forward. "You want to come to my school?"

"More then anything." Ruby nodded. Rouge bobbed his head in agreement.

Ozpin glanced over at Glynda, who turned away, but gave a small grunt of approval. He then turned to face the two once more. "Well, okay."

The two's eyes widened, as Ruby's jaw dropped while Rouge looked surprised. "Wait, that's it?" he asked, completely stunned. "No strings attached?"

"That is correct, Mr. Rose." Ozpin nodded.

Ruby's jaw was still open from the news while Rouge took on a more suspicious persona. This didn't seem right... why was this man letting them join Beacon, two years ahead of the rest of their classmates? He obviously saw his suspicion, as Ozpin smiled disarmingly. "I recognize potential when I see it, Mr. Rose." he stated simply. "It's only fair I bring that potential to it's fullest. Besides, if I don't give the both of you some form of recognition for your deeds tonight, I'll have to deal with Qrow's constant nagging." He gave the boy a wry look. "I think you know what I'm referring to."

"You don't know the half of it, Professor..." Rouge sighed, knowing full well what he meant.

Well, this would certainly be an interesting experience for the both of them... Two years ahead of everyone else, joining Beacon with their older sister. As odd as the idea was, while also exciting, Rouge also felt a sense of exhileration. This had sped things up, certainly.

 **-RWBY: Black Rebellion-**

"Ooooh, I can't believe my baby siblings are going to Beacon with me!" Rouge scowled inwardly as a pair of two arms wrapped around him and Ruby, which in turn, began to cut off their oxygen supply. "This is the best day ever!"

"Please stop..." Ruby wheezed.

"Can't..." Rouge gasped. "Breathe...!"

The older girl let the two of them go, much to their relief. "But I'm sooo proud of you guys!"

"Really sis...It was nothing."

"What do you mean? It was incredible! Everyone at Beacon is going to think you two are the Bee's Knees."

Yang Xiao Long was two years older than them, being a teenage girl wearing a tan vest with gold piping over a yellow low-cut crop top with a black crest that resembles a burning heart. The vest she had bore puffy cap sleeves with black cuffs. On the sides of the cuffs, there are two small golden buttons. She wore a brown belt with a buckle, a pouch, and a small banner-like object. The same burning heart crest appeared on this banner, except golden in color. She wore black shorts under her belt, which resembled a pleated skirt in the back. Over the short shorts but under the belt was a white asymmetrical back skirt, with an orange infinity scarf around her neck. She wore brown knee-high platform boots that looked to be made of leather, with orange socks of different lengths. Her left leg also had a gray bandanna-like object wrapped around the top of her boot. She also had on black finger-less gloves. Her defining, and most valued trait, was her blonde hair, which is lighter in color at the tips and flowed in a loose and messy manner, with a few locks sticking out and a small cowlick on top of her head. She had a pale complexion, like the two of them, and lilac eyes. She also sported an impressive *cough*chest*cough* size, which Rouge ignored to the best of his abilities.

Despite the difference of surnames, Yang was their sister. They had different mothers, but carried the same father. Of course, in spite of that, she was still a sister none the less. Rouge loved his sisters dearly, though he was slightly more closer with Ruby, not because they had the same mother, but because they were twins. That said, they all got along well enough... although Yang could be surprisingly overprotective of them when she chose to be. He could still recall the incident back in their childhood that had nearly ended in disaster, perhaps she was guilty because of that, and felt the need to protect them?

"I don't want to be the 'bee's knees', okay?" Ruby whined. Her enthusiasm from the other day was gone, replaced with the shy, introverted weapons geek that was his adorable, beloved sister. "I don't wanna be any kind of knees! I just wanna be a normal girl with normal knees!"

"What's with you?" Yang asked, still overjoyed by the fact that her two younger siblings were getting to go with her to Beacon. Seriously, how cool was that?! Rouge, she could understand, given he was a prodigy, being both smart AND deadly with a weapon, but she was honestly surprised when she found out that Ruby was also going. She had all but demanded that a party be held in their honor, much to their embarrassment. "Aren't you excited?"

"Of course I'm excited..." Ruby sighed. "I just... We got moved ahead two years. I don't want people think we're special or anything." She paused for a moment. "Well, mostly me, anyway. Rouge is the special one here."

"Ruby, you ARE special." her brother told her, folding his arms. "Besides, I doubt I would be moved ahead two years. If I was granted the opportunity, I would have turned them down."

"Because it would feel unfair to the other students?" Yang guessed, earning a nod of confirmation.

"Yeah." he said. He sported a slight, teasing smile as he looked at his twin. "The only reason I accepted being moved ahead was because if I left Ruby alone at Beacon, chances are, she'd be lost without me."

"What?! That's not true! That's a lie and you know it!" She pouted.

"Yeah. Uh-huh. Keep telling yourself that...and your awkward social life." Rouge smirked.

Ruby tried to form a retort to that, but failed. He had her there, her social life was awkward, though that was because she thought meeting people was kind of scary. In all honesty, meeting people's weapons were much more exciting.

"...the robbery was led by nefarious criminal Roman Torchwick, who continued to evade authorities." the newscaster stated via holoscreen, which was visible on the lobby area of the Bulk Head. The twins immediately recognized the person who was shown on the screen,holding a mugshot. It was the man from the other day, only he was lacking his bowler hat. He had a cocky grin plastered across his face with a bruise on his left cheek, and a bandage on the right side of his jaw. "If you have any information on his whereabouts, please contact the Vale Police Department. Back to you, Lisa."

The screen changed to the main news image, which showed a woman with gold eyes and white hair; the news anchor Lisa Lavender. "Thank you, Cyril. In other news, this Saturday's Faunus Civil Right's protests turned dark when members of the White Fang disrupted the ceremony." Beside the news anchor was the image of various individuals, all of which sharing some form of animalistic feature to them, some of them holding up protests signs. It later changed to the image of a marker, a bloody red wolf with three marks behind it. "However, the mysterious organization called the Black Fang was shown to have intervened shortly after the disruption."

The next image showed several figures quickly charging at the unseen terrorists. Their faces were hidden behind ebony masks with red designs, almost similar to the mask of Grimm, except they were all dressed in black attire. They also shared another commonality: an insignia not unlike the White Fang's showing a black wolf, only instead of three slashes behind it, an avian-shaped symbol stood behind the wolf's head, a sword running through it.

"The members of the Black Fang apprehended and incapacitated the White Fang members for the authorities to imprison. But before the police could arrest the agents of the Black Fang, they had already left the scene of the incident."

"Man, talk about a bunch of hellraisers." one of the students commented. "How long have they been around now?"

"A few years now." another replied. "Still, I hear their group's made of both humans and Faunus."

"Oh, please. How would you know that?"

"Hey, I just heard it from somebody else. Although, you got to admit, those Black Fang dudes are terrifying."

"True," his friend chuckled. "But not as much as their boss. I hear he's a walking nightmare!"

Rouge had ignored their words, merely focusing on the news as he slipped his hands into his pockets. He didn't care for idle banter. Rather, he was more interested in what was transpiring in Remnant. Of course, that being said, nothing had ever truly hold his interest other than what involved the events that seemed to revolve around the two organizations bearing the name of "Fang."

Sadly, however, the news ended there, as the blonde-haired Huntress that had saved his and Ruby's life appeared in place of the news. "Hello," she greeted to all of the newcomers. "and welcome to Beacon."

Yang looked to Rouge and Ruby, as they immediately recognized her. "Who's that?"

"My name is Glynda Goodwitch."

"Oh."

The woman continued to speak, the three listened intently. "You are among a privileged few who have received the honor of being selected to attend this prestigious academy! Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace, and as future huntsmen and huntresses it is your duty to uphold it. You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task. Now, it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge and the training to protect our world."

With that, her image disappeared. What greeted them was nothing short but an breath-taking sight. Far off in the distance, they were able to see a castle-like structure with a bright light glowing at the apex center tower, almost like a beacon.

They were approaching Beacon Academy.

"...holy crap that's so cool!" Ruby squealed.

"Yeah! Signal doesn't even begin to compare to this!" Yang agreed.

Rouge smiled somewhat. "And speaking of Signal, you can see it from here." he said. True enough, there old school was right there in plain sight. "I guess home's not too far off."

Yang grinned as she hooked her arms around her younger siblings. "Beacon's our home now, guys."

"Yeah...The start of a new chapter of our lives..." Rouge agreed.

1Their attention turned to the other side of the Bulk Head. Standing off to the side, away from the crowd of students, was a tall young man with dark-blue eyes and messy blonde hair. He wore a white chestplate and shoulder armor, and underneath the armor was a black hoodie with reddish-orange sleeves and an emblem hidden underneath the chestplate. He also had on blue pants with a white patch on the left knee, as well as sneakers with "left" and "right" written in black on the respective shoes' soles. Currently, he had a hand held over his mouth, his face slightly green.

"Well, I guess the view isn't for everyone." Yang remarked as the blonde boy suddenly dashed past them, looking ready to heave. "I wonder who we're going to meet?"

Ruby giggled. "I just hope they're better than Vomit Boy." she remarked before a foul stench crossed her nostrils. Her face crunched in disgust as she tried to find the source, and promptly looked down. "Oh, Yang! Gross! You have puke on your shoe!"

Yang's eyes widened. "Oh, gross gross gross gross gross!" she wretched in disgust as she tried to shake it off. Sadly for the both of them, the blonde boy from earlier was tumbling towards them unsteadly. Immediately, the two sisters backed away from him, not wanting their attire to be stained with puke. Rouge simply walked past him and gently tapped his back, wishing him luck. He sighed slightly.

'So much for peace and quiet,' he thought before he felt something in his pocket vibrate. He dug into his pants, and pulled out a maroon colored, slim object. He pressed the large button on the bottom, and pressed it to his ear. "YOU ASS! YOU COULD HAVE WARNED ME YOU WERE GOING TO BE GONE!" Rouge pulled the object away from his ear, wincing in pain. "SERIOUSLY MAN?! NOT ONE WARNING ABOUT YOU SUDDENLY HEADING TO BEACON?! NOT COOL, MAN! NOT! COOL!"

Rouge sighed. "Hello to you too, Flaemis."

But internally, Rouge was happy to hear from him.

"Dammit, man! I thought we were friends! Why do you have to keep me in the dark like this?!" Flaemis yelled.

"We are friends. The reason I didn't warn you was because it all happened just the other night." Rouge answered calmly.

"Even still, what the hell?!" the voice on the other end sighed in aggravation. "Anyway, I take it you saw the news?"

"Yeah, I have. Seems like the White Fang have started to get quite antsy."

"Yeah, well, what can you do? Anyway, you alright?"

Rouge smirked. "It wasn't anything I couldn't handle. At any rate, I'll talk to you later."

"Roger that, boss man." Flaemis chuckled as the line ended. With that, Rouge slipped the phone back into his pocket, and then turned to the window, where the entire kingdom of Vale was displayed for all to see.

The sight brought forth various emotions. Very few were aware of his perception of the world. He was sick of it... all of it. This distorted world, this cruel reality. His gaze focused on his silver eye, the only thing he seemed to inherit from his mother. Gingerly, he brushed away the bangs to reveal it further, all the while glaring out at the world before him. _'I swear, Ruby...'_ he thought.

 _'I swear... I'll make that world a reality.'_

A world where there was no corruption. A world where there was no discrimination. A world without terrorism. A world without oppression. A World where they can all live in peace.

That was the promise he made with his mother.

"I will..."

For the briefest of moments, Rouge felt his eye burn, and within his violet orb came a mark resembling a bird locked in mid-flight.

"...destroy this distorted world."

* * *

 **The Twin Roses...END**

* * *

 _"It wasn't me who was wrong... It was the world. The world was wrong." -?_


	2. Chapter 2

_"Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move fall like a thunderbolt." -Sun Tzu_

* * *

 **RWBY: Black Rebellion**

* * *

Rouge Rose had always been a curious thing, from the day he was born. Ask his father, or his sisters, and they could tell you that, unlike most children, who start to show signs of maturity at the age of eight, he was already a grown man in terms of mentality. By the time he could learn how to walk, he knew how to speak. By the time he knew how to speak, he knew how to read. By the time he knew how to read, he wanted to learn how to fight. Of course, at that point, he was still so young. Unfortunately, such a sentiment was shared by his sister, who was only a few minutes older than him. She had wanted learn how to fight as well, to wield a scythe like her mother and uncle, to learn how to, and he quote, "become a hero like in the stories." When it became clear to their parents that he wouldn't take no for an answer, they unlocked the twin siblings' aura, and gave them a head start on how to fight.

Ruby wasn't as excelled as others, which was to be expected. Just as she had told Ozpin, she had been utter garbage before he taught her how to use a scythe properly. Rouge, however, was different. From the moment he picked up the blade, one could clearly see he was talented. He was a natural, and if the praise Qrow gave him was any indication, it was clear that he may surpass even Summer. However, there had always been that one lingering problem that he always had; his lack of commitment. Despite being talented, he never put any true effort into it. He would rather spend his time in the library, reading books about strategies and the story of the world he lived in rather than engage in combat. Were it not for Qrow and his father, Taiyang, chances are, he would have lived his life as a twig and a bookworm who was good with a weapon.

There was more than enough complaints from Rouge as he trained with Ruby, but the effort paid off. The two were of equal skill, and shared the same style, which was to be expected. Both their uncle and their mother were skilled scythe users, thus it was natural for them to be wanting to use a similar weapon. Their time at Signal had more than done wonders, as their weapons were nearly identical, sans their color schemes and functions. Wilted Requiem, and Crescent Rose, twin scythes, both of which designed by Ruby, who was the more technical genius of the two. In spite of her social awkwardness, her talent in weapons was second to none. Ask her anything about a weapon, and she could go on for possibly hours on end. Rouge never had much talent for understanding weapons, but Ruby's knowledge more than helped him in the designs for Wilted Requiem.

Truly, they were closer than most twins, but there was always that distinct difference between them... Rouge most of all. Ruby was the more optimistic of the two. Being raised on the stories of Huntsmen and Huntresses, she had aspired to become just like the heroes of those fables and legends and stories and myths. She wanted to be the hero who would protect the world from the darkness. It was a naive way of thinking, especially considering that the real world was unforgiving and cruel, but Ruby still held steadfast to the light of optimism, never faltering for even a second. Rouge, however, was the realist. He knew what kind of place the world was like. It was like a beast, ready to swallow you up when presented the opportunity. He knew that people weren't as clear cut as Ruby believed. The world wasn't black and white, it was a giant blotch of gray, with no signs of light and dark. People could be cruel and spiteful, even murderous. One had to look no further than the White Fang to see the depths of human depravity. To Rouge, it was the fault of humans, especially the Schnee Dust Corporation in particular, that the White Fang even existed. Because of them, they pushed the Faunus to the brink, and created monsters of their own making.

And he was sick of it all. This cruel, twisted world, the world that had robbed him of his mother, the world that would destroy his sister for her naivete. It was all so... stupid. This world, this _hell_... If having power meant you were just, then was being powerless a sign? No... He couldn't... He REFUSED to accept that. This world, which favored only the strong... It didn't deserve to exist.

He wanted to destroy it.

* * *

"...Rouge? Hellooooo, earth to little brother!"

The black-haired boy blinked rapidly, seeing Yang's face a few feet away from his own while waving her hand across her face. He craned his head slightly, turning to see her and Ruby looking slightly concerned for him. "You okay, Rouge?" his twin asked out of concern. "You looked kinda distracted."

"Ah, sorry about that." he apologized. "I was just... thinking about some stuff."

"Stuff?" Yang raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"

He paused briefly. He couldn't quite exactly tell them that he had been thinking about his promise to his mother, as neither of his sisters were even remotely aware of it. It also wouldn't do well for him if they learned about it, so he went with a quick escape, albeit a slightly touchy subject for him. "...I was just thinking what mother would have said, if she could see us now." His words brought forth a discomforting silence to them. Yang looked slightly more worried for him while Ruby's eyes turned out to the window, as if gazing across the ocean, and to the Isle of Patch, where her resting place laid.

"Hey..." his older sister said gently, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "She'd be proud of us."

 _'Not all of us.'_ he wanted to tell her, but he held his tongue. Instead, he gave a false, yet wry smile. "Yeah... I suppose your right." Slowly, the Bulkhead began to slow it's descent, it's large frame turning to it's side. The machine jolted somewhat, causing further discomfort for the blonde boy who had been blowing chunks at different intervals, as it linked up with the docks. Eventually, the doors slid open, allowing the students to exit the Bulkhead. No sooner did the doors open did the blonde boy bolt right out, his feet skidding across the floor as his hands grabbed unto a nearby trash can, and began to empty the contents of his stomach. Rouge shook his head, slightly amused by the sight, before following his sisters out with the flow of students.

They soon stopped as soon as they set foot on the school grounds. He had to say, up close, Beacon was far more impressive than what the papers said it was. "Whoooooa..." Yang and Ruby said in awe, looking at the long pathway leading up to the school. The pathway was lined with trees, all with branches colored a light shade of red to represent the current season. "The view from Vale's got nothing on this." Yang commented, taking in the sights as she looked around the school grounds. The school itself was vast in size, especially from the towering structure actually behind it, also likely to be apart of the school. Several lush areas were also surrounding it, providing a sense of serenity and peace and tranquility, likely to provide a sense of peace and quiet to the students.

It was a nice view, all in all, although the statue looked sort of out of place to Rouge. "Ooh! Ooh! Rouge!" Ruby's excited shout caused him to look at her as her form seemingly became smaller, her eyes in the form of sparkles, seemingly floating into the air as a student passed by. "That kid's got a collapsible staff!" she waved her arms around excitedly, hearts pulsing above her head before another student passed by, this time carrying a blade wreathed in flames. Ruby's face grew even more excited as she clung to his arm. "A-and she's got a fire sword!"

"Easy there, sis." Rouge chuckled as he pulled on her hood, keeping her from floating away and out of there sight. "I know you're obsessed about weapons, but try to tone it down a bit."

"Yeah. They're just weapons." Yang agreed.

"Just weapons...? JUST weapons?" Ruby looked at their sister as if she grew a second head...or her hair was cut short. Rouge let out a small sigh, foreseeing the inevitable lecture. "They are NOT 'just weapons'! They are a part of us, a part of how we live! They are extensions of ourselves! They protect us, fight with us, keep us warm and comfy at night!"

"Ruby," Rouge smiled wryly. "Weapons do not make friends."

Yang nodded in agreement. "Yeah, what little bro said."

Ruby, however, frowned in confusion as she tilted her head to the side. "But, I've got you two as friends, don't I?"

"We're siblings, Ruby." her twin bopped her on the head lightly. "We do not count as friends."

"Whaaaat...?" Ruby pouted. "That's mean! I've always thought we were friends, despite being blood related."

"Ruby, sooner or later, your going to have to grow out of your shell, and learn to make new friends." Rouge said sternly. "For example," he stabbed his thumb over by the Bulk Head, where the blonde male was still blowing chunks. "Vomit Boy over there."

The red reaper cocked her head. "...really, Rouge?"

"What?" he shrugged. "He could be a very decent guy."

"Yeah, if he doesn't go puking on your shoes...or worse." Yang grimaced.

"You shouldn't really making lasting judgments based on first impressions. After all, motion sickness is actually a pretty common issue amongst the populace." Rouge reasoned.

"Whatever you say, bro." Yang shrugged before she looked over her shoulder. "Whoops~ Sorry guys, my buds are here." True enough, a group of people were quickly coming up behind them. "See ya!"

"Yang, wait-!" Too late. The crowd swept her up, and charged past the two twins, leaving them gawking. Rouge was slightly disappointed in his sibling, having parted with them, before she could even offer a single word of advice to Ruby. As for said sister, she felt like crying. She really did. How could Yang just go up and leave them here?! She didn't know the first thing about making friends in the first place! It was one thing to get to know them via social interaction, but it was another if it was getting to know them because of their weapon. Sadly, she doubted the last one would work so well. It would just make people think she was nuts!

"...well, there she goes." her twin remarked dryly before turning to Ruby. "I still think you should get to know people rather than their weapon." he said sternly, as if he were imitating his father. "Seriously, Ruby... If you want to swoon over weapons, why not your own?"

"But I am happy with Crescent Rose..." As to prove her point, she took out her scythe and hugged it close. "I just...like seeing new ones. It's like meeting people...but better."

Rouge face-palmed. "...you are a nut case."

"And you're a meanie! And you're supposed to be my brother!" She pouted.

"Hey, I'm just stating a fact." he shot back with a smug grin.

Ruby was about to retort when something smacked into her, causing both whatever hit her and she herself to be thrown to the ground. "Kyah!" she accidentally knocked over a bunch of white suitcases during her fall. "Whoa, Ruby!" Rouge immediately went over to his sister, helping her up. "You okay?"

"yeah. I-I think so." the girl said as she was pulled up.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" a shrill voice admonished.

"S-sorry..." Ruby apologized as she looked up. Rouge appeared to recognize the owner of the voice, and scowled heavily. It was a young girl, dressed primarily in light blue, white, and some red. She wore a pale blue bolero jacket over a similarly colored thigh-length dress with a piece of black lace making up the neckline of the dress. The inside of the bolero was red and the sleeves turn blue as they get closer to her wrists. The back of the bolero displayed a familiar crest, which bore a resemblance to a snowflake. Similar to Ruby, she wore a combat skirt(?). She wore an apple-shaped necklace along with a pair of thin, rectangular earrings. She had white, heeled wedge boots that go to mid-calf; the insides were also lined with red. Her long white hair was pulled back in an off-center ponytail, at the base of which is a small tiara that resembles icicles. She had a pale complexion and ice blue eyes. She also bore a crooked scar down her left eye. She also wore a small bag on the back of her dress, wrapped around her waist with a ribbon.

"Sorry?" the girl scoffed. "Do you have any idea of the damage you could've caused?!" Ruby didn't understand any of it as she took one of the white cases, handing it to the girl, who snatched it away from her. "This is Dust mined and purified from the Schnee Quarry." she informed her as she checked the contents, seeing all the vials within safe and sound without a scratch.

"Uh..." Ruby was still slightly dazed from the impact as her eyes were like swirls.

The girl glared at her, almost seethingly. "What are you, brain dead?!" she snapped as she removed one of the vials. "Dust! Fire, Water, Lightning, energy!" she stated as she swung the vial around. She failed to notice the powder that was flowing out, a result of the cork on the vial coming loose slightly from the impact when the cases knocked into Ruby.

Before the girl could continue, Rouge snatched it away. "One, quit yelling at my sister for your stupid mistakes." he snapped at her. "Two, quit swinging the damn thing around when the cork isn't sealed properly, unless you want her to sneeze with the stuff in her nose."

"H-How dare you?!" The girl snapped at him. Stupid mistakes? How dare he? She snatched the vial out of Rouge's hands, and indeed noticed that the cork had been knocked loose. She scowled at the fact that he was right. She then resumed her gaze with him. "And just who are you?!"

"Rouge." he introduced himself, albeit with hostility. "And the girl you were yelling at because of your mistake is my sister, Ruby." He narrowed his eyes at her as he folded his arms. "And before you say something about us being too young to attend Beacon, we were special exceptions. Now, apologize."

The white-haired girl's eyes widened, her face mimicking a gaping fish. It almost seemed as if someone had just slapped her. Her face then contorted with anger. "A-apologize?!" she screeched. "Why?!"

"Because your the one at fault here." he stated simply in a matter-of-fact tone. "You're cart ran into my sister, so naturally, it's you're responsibility."

"Do you know who I am?!"

"Yes," Rouge snorted. "An overly arrogant brat who belongs to an equally arrogant corporation who fumbles around with it's own money and can't tell their ass from their head." He smirked, seeing her face turn red from anger while Ruby looked on worried. What on earth was Rouge doing?! Now, sure, it might have been the girl's fault, but it was also partially her own fault as well, having bumped into the trolley in the first place. If she had been looking where she was going, she would have noticed it. "Now, ask me if I give a damn."

"W-why you...!" the girl growled. "I'll have you know that my name is-!"

"Weiss Schnee," a voice interjected. "heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. It's one of the largest producers of energy propellant in the world." The group turned to see is a girl of light olive complexion, similar to Ruby and the now named Weiss Schnee. She had long, wavy black hair, and her eyes were amber, complemented by light-purple eye shadow flaring backwards. Her eyes were slightly tilted upwards at the ends, giving her a somewhat catlike appearance. She had on a black ribbon tied in the form of a bow, and wore low-heeled boots and stockings that start off black at her hips, but gradually fade to purple as they neared her shoes. On the outside of her stockings, were white emblems that are most likely belladonna flowers. She wore black ribbons on both of her arms, with a black detached sleeve and a silver band on her left arm. She also wore a black buttoned vest with coattails, and a white sleeveless undershirt that exposes part of her midriff with white shorts connected to her shirt, although it was partly obscured by the vest. Her shorts had a zipper on the front of each leg. She also wore a detached scarf-like collar around her neck.

Weiss looked smug as she folded her arms. "Finally, some recognition!" she boasted, shooting Rouge a smug, arrogant grin-

"The same company infamous for its controversial labor forces and questionable business partners."

-only for it to promptly drop, leaving Rouge with the arrogant look. "And let's not forget the shady dealings, shall we?"

"Wha- How dare-?!"

"You can try and deny it all you want and try to save face, Ice Queen." Rouge shrugged. "But it doesn't change the truth. From how I see things, the Schnee Dust Corporation is just as corrupt as any shady business that exists on Remnant. Just because it's one of the leading energy producers on the planet, doesn't make its existence immaculate or Holy. To me, the reason it got to be as such is due to the underhanded business tactics, corporate greed, and its discriminatory actions against the Faunus."

Ruby's jaw dropped. She had never seen her brother put down someone in such a manner... at least, not since Cardin Winchester from Signal Academy. Weiss, however, was fuming. H-how dare this no-named loser talk so poorly about her family's corporation?! Sure, it's had some shady dealings in the past, but that still didn't give anyone the right to belittle it like that! Gah, what was she even wasting her breathe here for anyway?! They were all just a pack of idiots! She slammed her dust vial back into the case, and whirled about on her face, stomping away indignantly while Rouge smirked in victory. Ruby still felt bad about bumping into the trolley, and ran up behind the girl. "I promise I'll make this up to you!" she told the heiriess. She was obviously ignored, causing her to sigh at the retreating form of Weiss schnee. "Looks like I'm not the only one having a rough first day." she muttered before turning to the black-haired girl. "So what's-?"

The girl was gone.

Again, she sighed dejectedly as she fell on her rear tiredly. "Welcome to Beacon..." she muttered before feeling someone standing over her. Looking up, it was the blonde-haired boy from earlier, holding his hand out to her.

"H-hey." he greeted. "I'm Jaune."

"...Ruby." the girl smiled as she pulled herself up, accepting his hand. She then cocked her head to the side. "...aren't you the guy who threw up on the ship?"

Jaune sighed. "Yep..." he mumbled. "That's me."

"Don't mind my sister," Rouge told him, offering a pat on the back. "After all, motion sickness is more common than people think, right?" The blonde smiled, grateful that somebody understood that part. "I'm Rouge. Ruby's younger brother."

The boy blinked. "...younger?" he said, confused. "Not older?"

"Yeah. People often mistake me for being the older brother given my height compared to hers...and the fact I act more mature than my dear older sister, here." Rogue gestured to Ruby.

"Hey!" Ruby pouted cutely. "I can act mature when I want to! A-and I'm still growing, you know!"

"Yeah. But right now, you are acting like a child." Rouge responded. "And I have no doubt that you will grow into a wonderful woman like mother. But until then, you are still a child in my eyes..."

His twin pouted further, turning away from him with a huff while Jaune chuckled, scratching his cheek. _'They kinda remind me how I am with my sisters.'_

* * *

Elsewhere, in the City of Vale, near the docks, an old abandoned warehouse was thriving with activity. While it appeared to be empty, it was actually far from it. The lights were lit, revealing the interior to be filled with several crates of either weapons, ammunition, or dust. Roaming around the warehouse were different individuals. They all wore the same article of clothing: a black jacket with silver trims, yet also present on their person, dangling either around their neck, in the hand, or at their hip, were ebony masks with red markings, not unlike the ones Grimm wore, but also different from the ones worn by the White Fang.

They were the anti-thesis of the radical Faunus group. They were the ones who sought to change this twisted world. They were composed of both human and faunus alike, comrades and friends in arms that seek to raze the corruption that plagues Remnant.

They were the Black Fang.

They weren't like the White Fang, who existed for many years, they had been founded recently. Sure, there were some problems in the beginning, but as time progressed, those differences remained, but were greatly diminished. There was little discrimination between them, now they only had the desire to eradicate the twistedness of Remnant.

Of course, that didn't stop the arguments.

"Dammit man, get your tail out of my face!"

"I can't help it!"

"Well, try! I can't concentrate playing with your tail in my face!"

"You may as well give up, since you're losing."

"Screw you, you racoon bastard!"

"Well, this racoon bastard just stole your money~ Royal flush, baby!"

"Argh! Dammit!" The human threw his cards into the air.

The other players folded in their hands.

"Haha! Sweet! Thanks for the winnings!" The Raccoon Faunus grinned cheekily as he swept the money they all bet towards him with his tail.

"I heard that racoons were master thieves," a girl mumbled, watching the game from afar. "But this is ridiculous. Also... gambling, really?"

"It's a way of passing the time," the one beside her said. "Hell, I like to gamble every now and then." She turned to face them. She couldn't quite see what they looked like, due to the blue hood over their face, but she could tell it was a man due to the sound of their face. His attire was simply a blue hoodie that obscured most of his face, though she could see strands of electric blue hair beneath the shadows, and denim jeans with black combat boots. Strapped over his back was a blade held in a sheath. "So, what do you think of the Black Fang?" he asked with a grin, leaning against the railing. "Not what you expected, right?"

"...Not exactly. My first impression of you guys were to be a bunch of serious mercenaries. Not a bunch of care-free guys who spend their time betting money, playing video games, watching movies, and other crap." She stated.

"Hey. We may be people seeking to bring about a revolution...but in the end, we're just that: people." The hooded male shrugged.

"Oi, boss!" one of the members called out. It was a man with light red hair and blue eyes. His teeth were unusually sharp, and has a pair of gills at his neck. "We just got word from _**PIECE**_! Torchwick's making a move!"

This caused everyone to halt what they were doing, whirling around to face the apparent leader of the group. A wide grin formed on his face as he jumped over the railing, landing on his feet. "Alright!" he whooped. "Now that's what I want to hear!" He turned his attention to the other members. "Alright, ladies, let's get to work! Just cause our glorious leader ain't here doesn't mean you get to slack off! And remember, don't bother holding back! Hit 'em with everything you got!"

"YEEEAAAAAAAAH...!" The men cheered in unison. The ones playing poker all but forgot their loss to the Raccoon Faunus, and the Raccoon Faunus had forgotten about his winnings. They were all pumped. It was mission time again.

The woman blinked rapidly, seeing the sudden change. Nonetheless, she grinned, showing off her sharp molars, and her rugged tail dancing behind her. "I take back what I said earlier," she said with glee. "I think I'm gonna love it here."

* * *

"Hey, look, I'm sorry, but Vomit Boy was the first thing that came to mind."

Jaune sighed. "Okay, look, I'm just saying anybody can get motion sickness." he said. "Also, what about you, miss weapon nerd?"

"She wouldn't mind a name like that at all...given that is exactly what she is." Rouge commented offhandedly.

"Am not!"

"Then what about you comment of meeting weapons is better than meeting people?"

"Ah-wha-bu-uh..Shut up!" Ruby pouted again.

"My thoughts exactly." Rouge grinned in victory.

Jaune chuckled. "You guys really are twins." he said smiling. "Sort of reminds me of my own family."

"Really?"

"Yep," he grinned. "Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, rolls of the tongue, and the ladies love it~"

Rouge sweat-dropped. "...do they?"

"Th-They will...At least, I hope they will..." His confidence dwindled as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I-I mean my mom thinks so, so..." The twins' stare became rather uncomfortable. "You know what, never mind."

The conversation died down immediately after, being replaced by awkward silence. Ruby decided to break it.

"Sooo...uh...I got this thing." She whipped out Crescent Rose to its scythe form and stabbed the blade into the ground.

"Ruby...This is why your social life is awkward as hell." Rouge shook his head in exasperation. "Who in their right mind would randomly show off their weapon in order to start a conversation out of the blue?"

"What?" she frowned. "I made herself, so I think I should be entitled to showing it off."

Jaune's eyes widened. "Wait, YOU made that?!" he asked in shock. Ruby nodded in confirmation. "H-holy crap..."

"Yeppers," she grinned. "I made my bro's weapon too."

"Yeah. I am really proud of Wilted Requiem." Her brother nodded. "Despite my sister's quirks, she is a weapons expert."

"How about you, Jaune?" Ruby asked curiously. "What do you have?"

"Well, uh...I-I got this." He unsheathed a double edged sword from his hip. It was standard in design, possessing a normal blue handle and gold pommel and guard. From Rouge's observation, it seemed to be an antique, given the choice of weapons in modern society. But even then, the blade of the weapon remained sharp.

"Oh?"

"And I got this shield too..." He grabbed the sheathe from his hip and pressed a button, allowing the scabbard to unfold out into a shield. But as he did so, the item jumped out of his hands, resulting him in playing an awkward game of hot potato before catching it.

"Wow..." Ruby breathed. "So, what do they do?"

"W-well, the sword's pretty much what it looks like, nothing fancy." Jaune said as he sheathed it. "And as for the shield, I can make it smaller, so it makes it easy to carry around."

Rouge raised an eyebrow. "Isn't it still heavy?"

"Y-yeah..." Jaune sighed, putting his shield away. "S-so, uh... do either of you guys know where the auditorium is?"

"Huh? No...I thought you knew." Ruby stated. That was why she was following him.

"Well, fortunately for the BOTH of you..." Rouge stated as he took out his small note book. "The auditorium should be the large building on the left from where we stand now."

Ruby smiled widely. "You are the best, bro!"

Jaune sighed in relief, and the three left.

* * *

"Oh, Rouge! Ruby! I saved you guys spots!" Yang waved out to them amongst the crowd.

"Oh, there's our sister!" Ruby cheered. She was both happy and irritated to see Yang, the latter being because she practically left her and Rouge by themselves. "Well, it was nice talking with you, Jaune. Later!" she bowed her head, and went after Yang.

Jaune sighed, drooping his head low. "Great..." he muttered "Now where am I supposed to find a nice, quirky girl to talk to?" It was now he only realized that Rouge was still presented, and immediately panicked. "N-not that I'm trying to hit on your sister or anything! Honest! I-it's just that, well, um..."

Rouge smiled wryly, holding up a hand to stop him. "It's fine, Jaune." he told him. He noticed a girl with red hair staring at them, having overheard Jaune's comment. "Besides, who knows? You might find one closer than you think."

"Eh?"

"It's nothing." he told him before bidding him farewell. He then joined his sisters.

"...I don't think I'll ever get that guy..." The blonde knight murmured as he scratched his head, causing the observing red head to giggle.

* * *

"Whoa whoa whoa, back up, say what?! The kids went to Beacon?! ALL of them?!"

A sigh escape him. "Yes, Qrow. How many times must I say it?" Taiyang said into the scroll. He had been contact by his old team mate and brother-in-law, Qrow Branwen not too long ago, asking how Ruby and Rouge have been since he last saw him. He ended up talking about how his two youngest children were caught up in a Dust Store robbery by Roman Torchwick and fought back. One thing led to another, then Ozpin came in and invited Rouge and Ruby to Beacon, and they accepted.

"Damn," Qrow sighed. "Kids these days... Grow up so fast, I tell ya."

Taiyang sighed again. "Well, if I had it my way, those two wouldn't be Huntsmen or Huntress." he said tiredly. "Although, they're just like their mother; stubborn." He felt a thin smile form on his face. "And something tells me it only got worse when they studied under you."

His old teammate laughed at this. "Hey now, all I did was teach them how to fight." A pause. "Well, not both of the, per say. Rouge was already plenty good to begin with. I just reinforced what he already knew. Speaking of which, those two still together?"

"You know it." The blonde father grinned. "Those two are still as inseparable as the day they were born."

"Lemme guess, they still take a shower together?" Qrow joked. Taiyang laughed. Back when they were still small tykes, Ruby and Rouge had practically done everything together. Being twins, they were far more closer than most siblings. It didn't matter what it was, be it playing dolls or pretending to be heroes, they did everything together. Or... at least they did. Ever since that day, things had changed. They were still close, but Rouge...

"No, they don't, but they're still as close as ever."

"And how about the kid?"

"Which one?" Taiyang asked. "I have three of them, remember?"

Qrow groaned. "You know which one I mean, you dumbass. I meant Rouge." he clarified. "How is he?"

"As far as I know, he's doing well. Why?"

There was a brief pause of silence before Qrow replied, "You know that's not what I was talking about, Tai."

"Yeah...I know..." Taiyang relented. "I just...I just don't really like talking about him in that way. I know that Summer's death had affected all of us...but for Rouge...I think it impacted him the worst."

"More than one would think." Qrow said, his tone serious. "I'm worried about that kid... He has the same look as my sister, and I NEVER want to see that look in the eyes of a child."

"To be honest...neither do I..." Taiyang grimaced, all too familiar with what Qrow was referring to. After all...she was his first wife.

He didn't know what happened to Raven. One day, she was here, but after Summer died, she just... disappeared. Gone without a trace. Qrow had mentioned he had found her, but she wasn't the same person she used to be. Cold, harsh, she wouldn't even see Yang for whatever reason. That was the only time Qrow ever found her, and since, she ha gone completely silent. Taiyang was a mess back then. Not only did he lose Raven, but he lost Summer as well. He was fortunate that Qrow was there for his kids, for he wasn't able to raise them properly at first through his grief. However, Qrow had told him just how badly Summer's death affected the children. Yang was an utter wreck. She holed herself up in her room, not wanting to speak to anyone until Ruby managed to convince her to come out. Ruby herself was also in shock, but she was too young to understand what "death" really meant. She thought that Summer was coming back, but Qrow didn't have the heart to tell her that she wouldn't be. He simply believed it would be better for her to understand it on her own.

Rouge, however...

Rouge was a different matter entirely. He didn't cry. He didn't sob. He didn't weep. All he had done was shed a tear. A single tear. But what disturbed him most were his eyes. Eyes that were once bright and innocent. After Summer's death, they became bleak and dark. It was as if they were filled with complete dread and malice. Whatever the target of those feelings was, neither Qrow nor Taiyang knew. But one thing was for sure...the boy grew determined. Before Summer died, Rouge never took things seriously. Even when he was training, he would always come up with some excuse to remove himself from training, or skip it altogether. After his mother passed away, that changed. He stopped being lazy. Now, he worked himself to the bone. He was finally realizing his potential, but while he wasn't as physically fit as Ruby (which was saying something, as the girl's hand-to-hand combat skills were utter shit), he was still terrifying to see with a blade.

Whatever the case, Rouge was slowly becoming something else... Whatever it was, he didn't know. He could only hope he didn't end up like Raven had, a path of loneliness and isolation. "Oh, yeah, almost forgot." Qrow suddenly seemed to recall something. "You heard about those Black Fang punks?"

"How can I not?" the father replied. "They've been over the news nonstop ever since their debut two years ago."

"Yeah. I find it crazy how much they have grown as a force in that time." Qrow stated.

"Well, they're different from the White Fang." Taiyang stated. "Given their goals. Why do you ask?"

"I meant how much their numbers have increased since their creation. From what I recall, there were only a handful of members when they made their debut."

"Well, now that you mention it..."

"Exactly." Qrow nodded.

Taiyang raised an eyebrow. "...you think they might be involved with this 'Queen' your after?"

"Maybe, I dunno." his friend answered honestly. "But either way, I'm going to keep an eye on them. Anyway, I gotta go."

"Alright. See ya." Taiyang nodded. "And don't forget to visit the kids once in a while. I'm sure they miss their favorite uncle."

"Yeah, yeah..." Qrow laughed. The link ended there.

* * *

"I can't believe you went and ditched us!" Ruby whined, glaring at Yang heatedly as she put her hands on her hips. "I thought sisters stuck close!"

"Hey, sorry." Yang shrugged, clearly not at all sorry about her actions. "Besides, I see you made at least one new friend." She glanced over at Jaune. "...even if it is Vomit Boy."

"I told you. Don't judge a person based on their first impression." Rouge shrugged, then remembered something. "Oh yes, before I forget..." He whacked Yang in the back of the head with his hand."

"Ow! Dammit! The hell did you do that for?!" The blonde whined.

"That was for abandoning both Ruby and I without giving us a shred of advice for what to expect in our new school life here." The boy responded calmly.

Yang pouted deeply. "Oh, come on!" she threw her hands up in the air. "You guys got to meet Vomit Boy, didn't you?!"

"Still hardly an excuse for leaving us like that." Rouge glared at her in contempt. There were times when he loved his older half-sister...and there were times when he wants to smack her for her idiocy.

"It still wasn't cool!" Ruby said childishly. "I almost even exploded if it weren't for Rouge!"

Yang rolled her eyes playfully. "Yeah, suuuuuuure."

" **YOU**!"

Ruby yelped while Rouge glowered even more. Upon turning, they both found facing Weiss.

"Oh God it's happening again!" The red hooded girl cried as she jumped into her sisters arms.

Yang blinked. "Wait, you seriously almost exploded?"

"Yes, we were." her brother growled. "Thanks to a certain stuck-up arrogant git."

"How dare you?!" Weiss snapped at him.

"How dare I? I think you should be asking yourself that, Ice Queen."

Weiss' face turned red quickly. "Excuse me?!"

Yang, immediately seeing the rising hostilities between the two, intervened as she stepped between them. "Wha-hoo, calm down here!" she advised, pushing them away from one another. "I think we got off to a wrong start... Why don't we make it up to each other?"

"Pass." Rouge snorted. "I'd rather be friends with Winchester than this ' _princess_.'"

That was when Ruby and Yang knew that the situation had just turned critical. Rouge stating he would rather be friends with CARDIN of all people than her just told them how disgusted he was of her. Weiss didn't know who 'Winchester' was, but it was clear by the sound of his voice that he wasn't anyone he wanted to associate himself with... and the fact he would want to be around someone like that rather than her, an heiress, pissed her off to no end. Dammit, what in the hell was with this kid?! Who in the hell did he think he was?!

"U-um, I'm really sorry about my brother!" Ruby tried to diffuse the situation. "W-why don't we start over?!" she held out her hand. "H-hi! My name's Ruby! Wanna be friends?"

"Yeah!" Weiss changed her demeanor to be cheerful, but retained her sarcastic tone. "And we can paint our nails and try on clothes and talk about cute boys like tall, blonde and...scraggly over there." She jerked a thumb behind her, gesturing to Jaune.

"Really?" The blonde boy questioned.

"Wow, really?" Ruby asked with optimism.

Weiss merely gave her a flat look. "No."

Ruby's face dropped.

"You want to make it up to me?" Weiss asked, earning a strong nod. "Then keep your brother away from me." With a huff, she whirled about on her heel, and walked away in a strut.

Yang frowned heavily, folding her arms as she turned to Rouge. "Okay, what in the heck did you do to piss off the Ice Queen?"

"All I did was give her my honest opinion...that she and her company are over-privileged parasites of society, thriving upon underhanded tactics and corruption while oppressing the weak and the faunus. That they are nothing more than trash that this world will be better off without." Rouge calmly stated with narrowed eyes. Ruby's face turned into one of concern. This wasn't like Rouge... It was almost as if he had become a different person. Yang was even more concerned, recalling he had acted like this before. Ruby had been too young to remember it back then, but a long time ago, Rouge had seen a group of adults beating up a Faunus, simply because of the fact that he had animal-like traits. She found it unfair, but there was little she could do. She was barely thirteen back then. What difference could a kid do? Rouge, however, looked so angry that it was almost terrifying. It was then she realized just how different her brother had become since his mother passed away.

The cute, innocent little brother she had was gone, and was replaced by someone so utterly disgusted with the discrimination of the world.

...that, and seriously overprotective of Ruby. The red reaper failed to notice it, but Rouge looked pretty close to whipping out Wilted Requiem and cutting off her head. How ironic that was, given that he was the younger brother, if only by a few minutes.

"Aaaaaalright, enough of the emo look." Yang said, deciding to brighten up the mood as she wrapped an arm around her brother. "Seriously, it doesn't suit you at all~"

"Tch." Rouge clicked his tongue at the gesture, but made no move to push her away.

The banter was cut short, however, as two people made their way to the podium. One was Ozpin, and the other was Glynda. "Guess the announcement is starting." Ruby said. In a few moments, the auditorium fell silent.

The silver haired man stepped forward and opened his mouth to speak. "Ahem...I'll keep this brief. You have traveled here today in search of knowledge. To hone your craft and acquire new skills. And when you finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you and all I see is wasted energy. In need of purpose, direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far...It is up to you to take the first step."

The group looked slightly bewildered at his statement. Rouge, however, found himself in agreement. Everyone here (well mostly everyone) believed that, by learning here, they would obtain the skills they needed to make the world a better place, or at the very least, get stronger for whatever reason. He didn't know why people would want to obtain strength, though it wasn't hard to figure that out. Some wanted power for personal gain, and others, for their own benefit. Either way, Ozpin's statement rung true. Everyone was wasting their energy for idiotic things. They were fools who had no idea what they wanted in life. But he was different. He knew what he wanted. He was willing to devote every aspect of himself to achieving it. Ozpin nodded his head to them, but gave a glance to him and Ruby. For a moment, the two locked eyes, a smoldering intensity present between the two of them before their contact broke. As the man left the podium, Glynda walked up to the microphone.

"You will gather in the ballroom tonight. Tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed."

That said, the chatter resumed, and the crowd of people moved away. As they did, the three siblings followed after them. "What was up with that?" Yang asked with a frown. "Kinda seemed like he wasn't all there."

"I don't know." Ruby shook her head.

Rouge remained silent, letting Ozpin's words to truly sink in.

* * *

It was night-time in the ballroom, with several students cramped inside. Several people were gathered, all packed in a single room. Various lamps were lit to provide illumination for them, which Ruby was grateful for, as she was lying on her stomach, a paper in front of her with a pencil in her hand. She was in the process of writing a letter to her friends back at Signal, as she had promised to do so when they learned that she was graduating Signal two years ahead of them. Needless to say, everyone was ecstatic for her, and wanted to know everything about it.

"Whatcha doing, little sis?" Yang asked, coming up from behind her. "Writing a letter?"

"Mm." she nodded. "Back to my friends at Signal. I promised I would write back to them on my first day."

"Aw...that is sooo cute~" Yang was greeted to a pillow in the face.

"Shut up! I wasn't able to bring any of my friends with me!" Ruby pouted.

"Oh, come on..." her sister said coolly as she removed the pillow from her face. "What about Jaune? I'm sure he counts as a friend."

Ruby sighed. "And I'm sure Weiss counts as a negative friend, so I'm back to zero." she mumbled, hanging her head low.

"I think she has it more out to Rouge than you, though." Yang pointed out thoughtfully. "Speaking of which, do you know what his problem is with that girl? I get she's a stuck-up brat and all, but he's more hostile than I'm used to."

Ruby shook her head. "I don't know." she answered truthfully. "All I know is that he really seems to hate Weiss." They didn't know why, but they could tell that their brother doesn't hold the Schnee heiress in a grand manner. Yang sighed, shaking her head. "Maybe he's just going through puberty..." she muttered before looking around the room. "Gotta admit, though. There's a LOT of people here." She grinned widely. "It's like a slumber party!"

"Not sure Dad would approve of all the boys though."

"I know I do~" Yang said lecherously, looking around and ogling the many hot bodies in the room before her eyes fell on Jaune, who was wearing a light blue onesie. Her face dropped while he raised an eyebrow, tilting his head before smiling and waving at her. The girl waved back weakly. "...never mind."

"Hey, where's Rouge anyway?"

"He said he wanted to take a walk outside before going to bed."

Ruby nodded in understanding before sitting up, setting her stuff aside. "Hey, Yang?"

"What's up, little sis?"

"Do you he'll be... okay?" she asked, earning a frown in response. "I mean, well, Rouge has been kind of... antsy, lately, and I don't know why."

Yang shrugged her shoulders. "He's probably nervous is all." she said before giggling. "Remember what he was like when you two first entered Signal?"

"Hm?" Ruby perked up in remembrance, before realizing what she meant. "Oh yeah..."

Rouge was very paranoid when they first enrolled at Signal. He was always critical around other people, and practically stuck to her and Yang like glue during their time there. Of course, he had found a few people he could call friends, but he was still very weary around others. She chalked it up to him being paranoid, but she did notice that he was a bit more open around Faunus. Of course, this earned him a reputation as a Faunus-sympathizer, and ended up with a lot of the more cruel kids ganging up on him.

Or at least they tried, until they became acquainted with Yang's Ember Ceilica.

She was proud of her brother was doing, reaching out to the people that were oppressed and made friends with them. She wasn't about to let a bunch of bullies make his life miserable because of that, or convince him otherwise. As she thought about her brother, she hear soft footfalls echoing off to the side. Turning her head, she saw her brother walking into the room. "Oh, Rouge!" she said happily, waving at him. He was dressed in a simple white tee with black pants. "There you are!"

"Sorry," he apologized, walking over to them. "I just wanted to get some fresh air." He chuckled softly. "I almost got lost finding my way back here. Signal wasn't even this huge." That was an understatement. The campus grounds of Beacon were easily twice as large as the grounds back at Signal. However...Rouge was not telling the whole truth, not that either of his sisters noticed.

"Well, whatever." Yang shrugged before raising an eyebrow. "So, serious answer... Why do you hate the apparent Ice Queen so much?"

Rouge sighed. "I don't exactly hate her, per say..." he told her as he sat down. "I hate the Schnee Company in general."

Ruby cocked her head to the side. "Why?"

"Ruby, why do you think Faunus are so heavily discriminated against?" he asked her. Ruby tried to think of an answer, but couldn't find one. For as long as she couldn't remember, she had always seen Faunus being hated, and according to her father, it's been like that since the war a long time ago. "Sure, the White fang has only made things worse, but it's the Schnee Company that agitates them. Unfair labor laws, living conditions, treatment... There's a long list of why Faunus are so angry about being mistreated."

"So, basically..." Yang surmised. "They're why the White Fang is around?"

"No, they've been around for a while." Rouge shook his head. "It changed when the change of leadership happened."

Ruby raised an eyebrow, but shrugged her shoulders before she noticed a familiar face sitting close to the wall. "Wait, is that...?" she muttered, earning the attention of Rouge and Yang. They turned, and saw the black-haired girl from before. "Rouge, isn't she the girl from before?"

"Yeah. I believe she is." Her brother nodded. Yang then got an idea, the gears in her head turning.

"That's perfect! Another potential friend for you guys!" She jumped up and grabbed er siblings by the arm.

"W-whoa!" Ruby yelped, being pulled. "Y-Yang, what are you doing?!"

"We're going to meet a new friend~" She said in a sing-song voice.

"Dammit! Let go of me!" Rouge snapped.

It was too late. Yang shoved the two in front of the girl, who noticed them as they were dragged by the busty blonde. She raised an eyebrow, looking up from her book. "...can I help you?"

"Hello there!" Yang grinned.

"Uh, hi..." Ruby meekly waved.

"...Hn." Rouge merely nodded his head.

The girl seemed to recognize the twins. "...weren't you the girl that nearly blew up?"

"Y-Yeah that's me! My name is Ruby! But you can call me weapons frea-nevermind."

Rouge smirked somewhat at that before bowing his head. "Rouge."

"And I'm Yang!" The blonde grinned.

"Blake." The raven haired girl nodded.

"Sorry about this." Rouge apologized. "My dear older sister-" he shot Yang a glare as she grinned back at him. "-though it would be a good idea to have us make friends, hence dragging us around like a kicked puppy!"

"C'mon! You and Rubes are gonna be here for the next four years! You gotta start making new friends!"

Ruby sighed. "So... Yeah, there you have it."

"I see..." Blake stated.

"So...uh...I like your bow." Ruby offered.

"Thank you."

"It looks great with your...robe."

Blake didn't even look up from her book. "...right..." she mumbled, turning the page.

"N-nice night, don't you think?" Yang asked with a shaking grin. Obviously, she was starting to realize that this was a bad idea.

The girl shrugged. "It's lovely." she said. "Almost as lovely as this book." She looked up at the two, amber meeting silver, lilac, and hetero chromatic. "Which I will continue to read." They narrowed, almost threateningly so. Rouge could have sworn he saw her bow twitch. "As soon as you leave." With that, she turned back to her book, clearly going to ignore them for the rest of the night.

Yang sighed. "Yeah, this gal's a lost cause." she decided as she turned around. "C'mon, you two. Let's-"

"What's it about?" The question caught the girl off guard. She blinked, looking up at Ruby and her brother, as the two had asked the question at the same time. "Your book." Ruby clarified. "What's it about?"

"Um..." Blake paused for a moment, setting her book down. "It's about a man with two souls, each fighting for control over his body."

Rouge raised an eyebrow. "Jackal and Hyde?"

Her eyes piqued with interest. "You know it?" Blake inquired.

"Yeah." he nodded. "It's one of my favorite stories."

His twin giggled. "We were practically raised up on books." she said with a smile on her face, remembering her time with Yang back when they were younger. "Yang used to read to us every night before bed. Stories of heroes and monsters; they're one of the reasons why I want to be a Huntress."

"Why's that?" Blake smirked wryly. "Hoping you'll live happily ever after?"

"I'm hoping we all will. As a girl, I want to be just like those heroes in the books. Someone who fought for what's right, and who protected the people who couldn't defend themselves."

Blake, now truly interested, bookmarked her book, and closed it, setting it down beside her. "That's very ambitious for a child." she noted before looking at Rouge. "And what about you?"

He offered a slight grin. "That is for me to know, and you to find out, Blake." he said simply. "Although, if the real world worked how we wanted it to, then the sort of things Ruby and other people want would come true."

"That's why we're here." Ruby told him with a bright grin. "To make it better."

"Maybe...but there are somethings that just won't change that easily..."

"But we can make it change." she told him with a smile, much like his own. "After all, isn't that why we're here?"

Rouge smiled in conceit. Well, she won that round. It appeared she was learning. Blake also appeared to be pleased by her answer, giving her an affirmative nod. However, before she could say anything, Yang wrapped her arms around her sister, and hoisted her up, spinning her around. "Oh, I'm so proud of you!"

"Y-yang!" Ruby blushed as she flailed. "Cut it out!"

At this, the male twin sighed, shaking his head. "I take it they do this often?" Blake asked.

"You have no idea..." Rouge muttered.

"What are you doing?!" A familiar, shrill voice cried. Rouge scowled in contempt as the sisters broke up their scuffle.

Yang turned, and found herself glaring back at the familiar, and annoyed face of Weiss Schnee. As soon as the two saw each other, their eyes widened, and pointed accusing fingers at one another.

"OH, NOT YOU AGAIN!"

Rouge face-palmed, this time groaning out of frustration. "This is going to be a loooooooong night."

* * *

 **Shining Beacon...END**

* * *

 _"You can't change the world... It's impossible." -?_


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Notes:** I just wanna say this real quick... HOLY SHIT THIS RECEPTION IS FANTASTIC! I mean, I was worried this story wouldn't receive much attention, but damn! I gotta thank you guys, especially with all of the crap I have been receiving lately in real-life. I can't really publish and work on chapters as I have in the past, hell some stories I can't stand to look at anymore, as they were stories me and my dear friend, Joshua, have been storming on. He died not too long ago, and addition to that, school life, despite me being on summer break, has been hell on me.

Not only that, but I've been working on looking out for a dear friend of mine. He's Joshua's younger brother, and despite the fact that he is in middle school, he is a very smart and bright kid. He already has his own fanfiction account here! If you are interested, his username is Otaku-Nation666, and has published two stories so far; RWBY: Within Enlightened Hearts, which is a story we have been working on together, and Tokyo Ghoul: Wishes of an Eyepatch. I highly recommend you check them out!

Speaking of RWBY, in regards to my story, Colorless Memories, I have posted a new poll. As the populace has determined that Lyxus will be a male joining Team RWBY, it is now time for the pairings. Please take a look if you are interested in it.

That is enough of me. Please enjoy the chapter!

* * *

 _"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life." -Revelation 21:6_

* * *

 **RWBY: Black Rebellion**

* * *

"...n? Reeeeeeen~! Wake up, Ren! It's moooooooorning~!"

Lie Ren was anything but a morning person. He turned over in his sleeping back, trying his best to tune out the rousing words. The source of said words huffed in frustration. The individual then jumped up and landed on the sleeping teen. "Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! It's morning Ren!" She hopped up and down on his chest as she straddled him.

He groaned in discomfort, opening of his eyes to see an ever-familiar face. It was hard not to recognize her green eyes and orange hair, as well as that damned grin that he was convinced was permanently glued to her face. "...Nora," he said politely. "Please. Get off."

"Okay!" The hyper ginger grinned as she hopped off him. The victim of her behavior rose from his sleep, rubbing his eyes. He was a young male around the same age as the girl, with long black hair with a pink streak on the side. He blinked away the drowsiness in his eyes, revealing pink irises. _'...it's way too early in the morning for this.'_ he thought tiredly. "C'mon! C'mon! C'mon!" Nora tried to pull him out of bed. "We gotta go! They're serving PANCAKES!" Of course she would be thinking about stuff like that. For as long as he could possibly remember, Nora was a hyperactive ball of energy that you couldn't turn off, no matter how hard you tried. To put it bluntly, she was a staggering piece of work that was like a typhoon. As soon as it passes by, you can see the damages and how horrible they are. He wondered how he was able to put up with her, but he chalked it up to them being friends since childhood. They've always been close, hence why they were now at Beacon Academy.

That, and lord knows what would happen if he left Nora alone.

ESPECIALLY if she had chosen to consume any form of caffeine or copious amounts of sugar.

* * *

"So, boys and girls," Yang grinned as she slipped on a pair of familiar yellow gauntlets. "You ready to raise some hell?"

Rouge shook his head, amused while Ruby smiled. "Yep. After all, I get to let my sweetheart do the talking~" She said giddily as she whipped out Crescent Rose. "How about you, bro?" she asked, turning to Rouge. "You going to introduce the world to Wilted Requiem?"

"Believe me...I had full intention of doing so." He replied simply, taking said item from his assigned locker, which was right next to Ruby's.

"Sounds like you two are ready and roaring to go." their sister nodded in approval. "So, how do you think teams are going to go?"

"Well, they're probably going to be decided during Initiation." Rouge answered. "The teachers have been rather tight-lipped about it, and the second-year students have been instructed not to say anything, so the only real, actual question is who are partners will be." A snort escaped him. "I'm fine with anyone else, so long as they aren't a certain heiress and Winchester."

The girls nodded in understanding, as neither of the people mentioned were on their brother's good side. Ruby then grinned in elation.

"That's perfect! Then we can be on the same team, bro!"

Yang raised an eyebrow. "Seriously, Ruby?" she asked. "C'mon, we've been over this. You need to start opening up, meet new people!"

"I agree." Rouge nodded. "You can't be around us for the rest of your life."

Ruby groaned. "Oh, come on you guys!"

"You have to remember, Ruby." Rouge said in an admonished tone. "We're not the only ones going through Initiation. If you want to grow up, you're going to have to meet new people and learn to work together."

At this, his twin groaned. "Ugh, you sound like dad!" she complained. "Okay, first of all, what does meeting people have to do with fighting? And secondly, I don't need people to help me grow up." She folded her arms, and nodded strongly. "I drink milk."

"...and yet you're still flat."

Both girls froze and looked at their brother. He did not just go there. "Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-You...PERVERT!" Ruby screamed at him, covering her chest with her arms. "I'M STILL GROWING!"

What?" he shrugged, honestly seeing no problem with stating such an obvious fact. "Face facts, big sister. Eleven years, and your chest has only gotten a few centimeters bigger. In other words, you. Are. Flat."

"S-SHUT UP!" the red reaper, her face as red as her hood. "AND THAT'S ANCIENT HISTORY!"

"Eleven years hardly counts as ancient history."

"W-well, um..." Yang stammered, having been thrown for a loop with Rouge's comment. She was usually the one making such innuendos, not the other way around. Still, he had a point. "S-so, who do you think we'll be partnered up with?"

Ruby frowned. "I'll just be on yours or Rouge's team or something..." she muttered before sending a glare to her brother. She was quite sore about his comment earlier. What kind of brother brings up his sister's measurements?! Seriously! She expected that sort of thing from Yang, not him! '

"Maybe you should try being on someone else's team." the brawler suggested. "You know, like Vomit boy!"

"His name is Jaune, by the way." Rouge informed her. "And I'll have to agree with Yang on this one."

At this, Ruby frowned heavily as she waltzed up to the two, pointing an accusing finger at them. "My dearest siblings," she said with a glare, hands on her hips. Rouge smiled thinly. It was rather cute how tough she was looking. "Are you implying that you don't wish to be on the same team as me?"

"That all depends." her twin said with a smirk. "Are you going to shoot us with Crescent Rose if we say yes?"

"...that is up for debate." Ruby deadpanned.

"W-what?" Yang chuckled nervously. In truth, she was hoping that Ruby would be able to fit in with other people on another team, though she was still perfectly fine with the idea of her sister joining her team, but she still wished for her to connect with others. After all, they wouldn't be together forever. "No! Of course I do, it's just... I dunno, maybe it would help you break out of your shell."

"What the?!" Ruby gawked. "I don't need to break out of my shell, that's absolutely-!"

"Ridiculous!" The three blinked, their conversation halting as Jaune strolled past them, a piece of paper in his hand. "There's no way I put my gear in locker 636 yesterday!" A tired, worn chuckle escaped him. "I would've remembered if I had to count that high!" he groaned. "Ugh, why does this have to happen to me today?!"

He was unaware that he strolled past the red-haired girl from the auditorium, as well as Weiss, the two currently engaged in conversation. "So, Pyrrha, have you given any thought to who's team you'd like to be on?" she asked curiously. The girl standing beside her was none other than Pyrrha Nikos, the undisputed, undefeated Champion of Mistral, three years running. It had come as quite a shocker when the heiress had learned that she would be attending Beacon, but it only came to show just how prestigous Beacon was. It was perhaps on par with Atlas Academy, if what her sister told her was to be believed, in spite of the military standing. "I'm sure everyone must be eager to unite with such a strong, well-known individual, such as yourself."

Rouge overheard this, and raised an eyebrow. _'Pyrrha?'_ he questioned, immediately recognizing the name. ' _Pyrrha Nikos? The undefeated Minstral Champion? She's actually attending Beacon?'_ A smile formed. _'Well, this certainly became a lot more interesting.'_

"Hmm..." Pyrrha cocked her head to the side, hands on her hips, deep in thought. "I'm not quite sure. I was planning on letting the chips fall where they may." Inwardly though...she was lamenting. She came to Beacon in order to get away from her reputation. For the past few years, people only got to know her as Pyrrha Nikos, the Champion. Not Pyrrha Nikos, the person. Her parents were there for her, of course, but she really wished she to make actual friends.

Weiss was unaware of this fact, as she smiled. "Well, I was thinking maybe we could be on a team together." she offered. Inside of her mind, a chibi version of her was grinning like mad as thunder boomed around her, hands clenched around her fists as she giggled madly at her own dastardly thoughts. _'This will be perfect! The smartest girl in class, combined with the strongest girl in class! Together we will be unstoppable! I can see it now: We'll be popular, we'll be celebrities, we'll get perfect grades! Nothing could come between us!'_

Sadly, however, life threw her a curveball as Jaune noticed Weiss, and smiled. He remembered what she had said back during the assembly. He always knew these rougish looks from his dad would get him the girl! And a pretty cute one at that! Although, he did have to admit, the red-haired girl called Pyrrha was also cute herself. She had this sort of Amazon look going for her, and those eyes seemed so alluring... Oh yeah, it was official. He was going to LOVE Beacon if cute girls like them were going to be here! "You know what else is great?" he said as he walked up to them. "Me, Jaune Arc." He grinned. "Nice to meet you."

Rouge rolled his eyes, resisting the urge to face-palm. _'Oi vay...'_

The heiress groaned. "You again?"

"It's nice to meet you too, Jaune." Pyrrha gave a friendly wave. Maybe this will be a start in making friends.

Jaune grinned back. "Hello." he said politely before turning back to Weiss. "So, Weiss. I couldn't help but overhear your fondness of me the other day."

Yang stifled a laugh while Ruby managed to hide her snickers. Rouge, however, was getting close to slapping his own forehead. Really, how dense could this idiot be?! She was clearly being sarcastic when she was talking with Ruby about him! Obviously, however, Jaune proved to be quite idiotic, evident by his attempts to woo the Schnee Heiress. He had a feeling that this was going to be painful to watch.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding." Weiss grumbled, clearly annoyed with him. She had no interest in such a plain, idiotic, and moreover, inept fool like him. How in the hell did he even get the idea of her being attracted to him?! Did he not realize that she was being sarcastic?!

"Don't worry, no need to be embarrassed. So, been hearin' rumors about teams! I was thinking you and me could make a good one."

"Actually," Pyrrha spoke up. "If memory serves me correctly, the teams are made up four students."

"Really? That's cool! Maybe we can all be on the same team." Jaune smiled.

Weiss felt her eyebrow twitch. Was he SERIOUSLY thinking that Pyrrha Nikos would consider joining someone like him?! "Jaune, is it?" she asked, earning a nod. "Do you have any idea who you're talking to?"

"Um..." he tilted his head. "A cute redhead?"

Pyrrha blushed at that, though she was slightly confused. Did he not know who she was? No, that couldn't be it. So far, everyone she's met has recognized her almost immediately, usually after she introduced herself to them. But, from what she seen so far... He really had no idea. While she was curious as to how he didn't know who she was, she wasn't about to dwell on it. In fact, she felt pretty happy that there was someone who was not aware of her reputation.

"Her name is Pyrrha Nikos," Weiss introduced the red-head properly as said girl waved at him with a smile. "She graduated at the top of her class at Sanctum Academy."

Jaune shrugged. "Never heard of it." Pyrrha's eyes widened slightly. Sanctum was easily one of the most famous training academies, located in Mistral, similar to Haven. Now she was honestly starting to think that he REALLY had no idea who she was.

"She's won the Mistral Regional Tournament 4 years in a row!" Weiss growled. "That is a new record!"

"The what?" Okay, he didn't even know what the yearly famous regional tournament, which brought warriors, both self-taught and Huntsmen, to Mistral to see who the better warrior was? Her eyes widened further as she felt her heart began to quicken.

Weiss yelled loudly, flailing her arms wildly in frustration. "She's on the front of every Pumpkin Pete's Marshmellow Flakes box!"

"Haa!" Jaune gasped in amazement. He then pointed at Pyrrha. "That's you?! That's amazing! They only do that for star athletes and cartoon characters."

Okay, at least he knows THAT! "Yeah...it was pretty cool. Sadly the cereal isn't very good for you..."

Still, though, it was now official. She was interested in the blonde called Jaune Arc. "So, after hearing all of this, do you think you're in any position to ask her to be on your team?" Weiss asked, almost condescendingly so.

Jaune sighed in depression, hanging his head low. "I... guess not."

"For what it's worth, Jaune," Pyrrha offered him a smile as she put an assuring hand on his shoulder. "I think you would make a great leader."

"Y-you think so?"

"Ugh," the heiress rolled her eyes. "Don't encourage him, Pyrrha. This sort of behavior should not be encouraged."

The blonde grinned back at her, folding his arms over his chest. "Well, sounds to me like Pyrrha's on board for Team Jaune." he said, almost proudly so. "Spots are filling up quick!"

Rouge lost his patience, and face-palmed. "Oh, for the love of Remnant...!"

"Now I'm not supposed to do this but maybe I can pull some strings, find a place for you? What do you say?" Jaune asked Weiss as he leaned closer.

"Alright, that's a bit too close." Then she looked over pleadingly at the red head. "Pyrrha, a little help please?"

"Sure." The girl nodded. Jaune turned around to her direction...only to get the sight of a javelin being hurled toward him. The projectile caught him by the shirt and pinned him to a wall of lockers. "I'm sorry."

s Jaune began to pry himself out of the lockers, and remove the javelin from his clothing, the PA system cackled online. "Would all first-year students please report to Beacon Cliff for Initiation?" the voice of Glynda Goodwitch asked of them. "Again, all first-year students report to Beacon Cliff immediately."

With that, Weiss walked past Jaune, not giving him so much as a second glance, causing his heart to further drown itself in sorrow while Pyrrha looked a bit sheepish in her actions as she pulled her weapon out from the wall, thus allowing him to slump down to the floor. "It was nice meeting you." she told him before quickly rejoining Weiss.

Jaune sighed. "Likewise..." he mumbled before he saw Ruby offering him a hand up.

"Having some trouble there, lady-killer?" Yang joked, having been vastly amused by his futile attempts to steal Weiss' heart, only to fail miserably. She had to admit, it was like watching a puppy trying to get the attention of a seriously grouchy old woman to no avail.

"I just don't understand." Jaune shook his head in confusion as he took Ruby's hand, standing back up to his feet. "My dad said that all women look for is confidence." He hung his head low in depression. "Where did I go wrong?"

Rouge sighed, shaking his head. "Jaune," he said, looking the blonde knight dead in the eye. "You DO realize that Weiss was being sarcastic the other day about her comments, right?"

One could practically hear the sound of his heart shattering.

"She was?!" Jaune's head snapped up, then fell back down in depression. "Aww man..."

"Well, look on the bright side..." Yang offered.

"What bright side?"

"It seemed like Pyrrha was interested in you."

The boy seemed a little bit hopeful, but still had a sad look on his face. "...do you really think so?"

"Well, she wouldn't have been smiling at you, or given you that compliment about being a leader if she wasn't interested in you." Ruby said, trying to cheer her friend up. "Anyways, let's go! We're going to find out about our team arrangements!"

"Yeah!" Yang fist pumped.

"You are all way to optimistic...but not unrealistic..." Rouge admitted. He was interested on how teams were going to be arranged, however. With that in mind, the four left the locker rooms, heading to their destination.

* * *

"...for years you have trained to become warriors." Ozpin began, once he observed the crowd to see if everyone was present. They were all lined up, single file, placed into a row. Rouge was among the first to notice that they were all placed on small platforms. He shrugged it off, thinking that it would perhaps have something to do with how they would be conducting the Initiation, and remained silent. "And today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest."

"Now," Glynda took over the explanation, her Scroll held in her hand. "I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of teams. Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion." She pushed up her glasses, creating a glare. "Each of you will be given teammates... TODAY."

Ruby's face dropped. "W-what?" she mumbled, no suddenly scared. They were going to get teammates today?! B-but it was the first day! Why so suddenly?! Ooooh, she wasn't ready for this!

"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon." Ozpin stated. "So it is within your best interest to be paired with someone whom you work well with." Ruby whined further as she cast a glance at Rouge, who looked eager to begin, and her older sister, who was cracking her knuckles, a wry grin on her face, definitely anticipating action. Okay, she had given some thought to joining another team, provided they seemed nice... but after hearing that? It was official, she was DEFINITELY going to be on the same team as either Rouge or Yang. They were the only ones she knew here (besides Jaune) and was aware of their fighting capabilities, whereas everyone else was a complete unknown.

"That said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years."

Ruby felt like her entire world just shattered. Coincidentally, Rouge heard the sound of glass breaking. "WHAAAAT?!" The first person...they make eye contact with?! That was so random! How could they even know they will work well together?! They could be completely incompatible for all they know. These thoughts ran through the twins' heads. Ruby was horrified by the very notion while Rouge was greatly intrigued.

An orange-haired girl grinned widely as she shook the shoulders of the boy next to her. "See?" she cheered. "I told you!"

"After you've partnered up, make your way up to the northern end of the forest." he instructed them. "You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy anything in your path, or you will die." Rouge smirked. That should have been a given, but it worked in his favor just fine. He had no intention showing any mercy to anything or anyone that stood in his path."

Jaune laughed nervously at this, and gulped down a nervous lump in his throat. "...I am so screwed." he whimpered to himself. Ruby nodded strong in agreement, but her despair was in regards to the partnership system that was just revealed to her.

"You will be monitored and graded for the duration of your Initiation." Ozpin said as he looked to Glynda. "But our instructors will not intervene." He then turned back to the Initiates. "You will then find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one relic, and then return to the Cliff. We will regard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately." He took a drink of his coffee before continuing. "Are there any questions?"

Jaune raised his hand. "Yeah, um, sir-"

"Good! Now, take your positions."

Ozpin outright ignored Jaune, and allowed the students to take their stances. Ruby slipped herself into a running stance, while Yang rubbed her wrists, ready to begin as she slipped on a pair of aviators. Rouge took out Wilted Requiem, and fell into a stance similar to Ruby's. Jaune still held up his hand. "Uh, sir? I've got a question." He failed to notice Weiss being launched into the air, her form turning into a white streak across the blue backdrop above them. It was now that the male Rose twin understood why they had been placed on these stones. "So, this landing strategy thing, uh, w-what is it? Are you...are you like, dropping us off?" He asked hopefully.

"No. You will be falling." Ozpin answered bluntly.

A teen with a blonde mohawk was launched next.

"Oh...I see...So, like, did you hand out parachutes for us?" Jaune was getting more antsy by the second.

"Woohoo!" Nora was launched next.

"No. You will be using your own landing strategy."

"Uh...huh..." Jaune was still uncertain. Meanwhile, Yang looked over to her siblings and winked before slipping on a pair of aviators. Ruby gave a determined grin as she was launched next. Rouge narrowed his eyes and smirked before he too was launched. Now it was only Jaune left with Ozpin and Glynda.

"So, uh...what exactly is a landing strataGEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY...?!" The blonde could barely finish his question before he was launched and sent tumbling into the air, heels over head.

Ozpin turned to face the airborne initiates...and took a sip of coffee from his mug. "...this will certainly be an interesting Initiation." Glynda commented, looking at her Scroll. "However, you forgot to mention something, Headmaster."

"Oh?"

"...we have an odd-number of Students." she said. "Among the pairs, there will be a three-man team."

Ozpin smiled mysteriously as he shrugged. "I thought it would be best to make things interesting." he said before turning to his side, staring at the shadows behind him. "Wouldn't you agree, old friend?"

"...okay, be honest with me here, Oz." a familiar voice said as they stepped out from the shadows. It was a middle-aged man with graying black, spiky hair, red eyes, a slight stubble along his jawline, and wore a red, tattered cloak, and a gray dress shirt with a long tail, black dress pants, and black dress shoes. He also had a ring on his right index finger, two other rings on his right fourth finger, and a necklace with a crooked cross-shaped pendant. His bangs were down, and a wry smile was on his face. "How long have you known?"

"Since they arrived." the Headmaster of Beacon said. "So, how goes your investigations? Fruitful, I hope?"

"More or less..." The man rubbed the back of his head. "I have a few leads, but as soon as I get close enough to them, they just disappear. It's gotten pretty annoying..."

Ozpin hummed thoughtfully. "I see..." he said. "I figured as much. Still, I doubt you just came here to give me a report in person."

The man chuckled. "Am I that obvious?" he asked.

Glynda rolled her eyes. "Qrow, you are as obvious your smell." she said bluntly with a glare. "Also, do keep in mind that you are on school grounds. If I see you take out that flask, I WILL use force."

"Alright, alright!" Qrow held his hands out in defense. "No need to get all testy, Glynda. Besides...I actually want to be sober for this."

"Really now? It's that serious?"

Qrow nodded. "I assume," Ozpin said slowly. "This is in regards to your nephew and nieces?"

"Well, more Rouge than anything, but I wanted to see how the firecracker and Ruby are doing too."

Glynda frowned. "...Why Rouge in particular?"

"It's...complicated..." Qrow admitted. "To be honest...I'm worried about him."

"How do you mean?" the blonde professor asked curiously. "I've read his records. He's an outstanding student. He's always at the top of his classes, despite his low attendance record, and his skills are on par with Ruby. He could have easily skipped ahead by one year, maybe two if he truly pushed himself."

"That isn't why I'm worried." the drunkard said, his eyes narrowed. "Ever since Summer died... he's started to go down the same path my sister did." His eyes narrowed, turning red for a brief moment. "And THAT scares me." This caused Glynda to freeze and Ozpin to turn his head toward him. The same path as Raven...? The last they heard from her was...

"...Qrow," Ozpin narrowed his eyes. "Does this have anything to do with the Black Fang?"

"It's only a gut feeling more than anything, really." The man admitted.

"A gut feeling, you say?" Glynda inquired. "Well, that is certainly a cause for concern." Despite the obvious jest, she narrowed her eyes. "Ending up like Raven, huh... That is something I don't wish to see from a child." Her eyes softened. "Especially Summer's."

"I know. That's why I'm concerned." Qrow agreed with her. The eyes he saw on his nephew...should NEVER be seen on a child.

And he'd be damned if he would ever let that boy walk that path.

* * *

Similar to Yang's approach, boosting her flight through the use of her Ember Celica, Rouge used the recoil of Wilted Requiem to bounce him through the air. Additionally, he used the effects of his Gravity Dust rounds, which further added to the boosts. He was soaring through the air for close to a minute before he stopped, using his scythe to catch himself unto a branch and slow down his descendent, jumping off branch by branch before touching the ground. He scanned the area for any immediate threats, straining his ears as he listened for the sounds of Grimm, or anyone close to him.

When it became clear that there wasn't anything around, Rouge made his way deep into the forest.

As he trekked through the woods, he fell back into his thoughts, weighing options and assessing situations. _'Let's see...based on how far I've landed, I should be close to the temple. That being said, there is also a good chance others have made it to the same distance as I have...'_

As he considered possible candidates for partners, his mind raced to the people he has become acquainted with since his stay. As Ozpin had suggested, it was within their best interest to ally himself with someone he worked well with. The best idea would be either Yang or Ruby, but he also considered Blake. She appeared to be quite and docile, but he held a strange feeling that she might be quite dangerous in her own right. He also, much to his own disgust, considered Weiss, as much as he would loath such a partnership, but he wouldn't allow his own feelings to get in the way of combat. After all, communication was crucial to partnerships, and while he did not like her, he can at least tolerate her to some extent. There was also Jaune, but he somehow doubted that the boy knew any real combat experience. To him, it seemed like he wasn't even remotely ready for combat.

 _'If I narrow down my options, Ruby and Yang are the best choices.'_ he decided. ' _Although, another could be Blake or Schnee...'_ He paused. _'Provided we don't try to kill each other.'_

But before he could divulge in his thoughts further, the snapping of a twig caught his attention. Following the noise was a series of low, reverberating growls. From what he remembered, Rouge determined the foe to be Beowolves, approximately fifteen of them given the sounds all around him. He set a hand on Wilted Requiem, allowing the scythe to unfold.

His eyes narrowed. "...come on."

In the next second, black beasts leaped out, red orbs glaring at mismatched eyes.

* * *

 **Inititation, part I...END**

* * *

 _"If a king doesn't lead, how can he expect his subordinates to follow?" -?_


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Notes:** ..okay, I have to say this straight up, I am sooooo sorry for this very late update. I have been going through some...rough times. A lot of tough times. Hey everyone. First of all, I would to formally apologize for not being able to update some of my more popular stories in a very long time.

People might have noticed that some of my more popular stories haven't been updated. I'll tell you why now: my life is HELL. I am currently in my last days of summer school, so the pressure is on. That, and my life at home is nothing short but, in a word; fucked up. I live in a household that has six women. Three of those women are my sisters and my mother. The other two are my grandmother and my great-grandmother. My grandfather is a piece of shit who hangs out with friends who are quite possibly druggies and is a worthless fucker who does nothing to help us, and puts us further in debt by buying things with money that we do not have. My great-grandmother has dementia, and has made our lives hell. Every day, there is screaming and yelling. She has made my mother cry, and my grandmother, who is undergoing kimotherapy, is losing her mind, yet she refuses to send her to an old people home.

If you are reading this, then you now understand why I am unable to write as much anymore these days.

I'm deeply sorry for being unable to update my more popular stories, such as R-eset and this one, and I hope you all can forgive me.

I've also been having trouble with computers as well. My old one crapped out, so I have to wait for a new one to arrive. I'm using Joshua's laptop right now.

On another, more uplifting note, a dear friend of mine, Otaku-Nation666, has joined Fanfiction media not too long ago. He is the younger brother of the same man who brought me into the world of anime and gaming, Joshua. He was originally living with his parents, who I later found out were abusing him after Joshua's death, and is now living here. I can't tell if I'm just putting him in another hell in this house, but at least all he has is listening to hollering and screaming. He has a few stories posted, and I recommend a few of them;

RWBY: Within Enlightened Hearts, Tokyo Ghoul: Wishes of an Eyepatch, High School DxD: Destiny's Play, and Fabulae Parcae. He has also stated plans to post a Code Geass story. I'm afraid I don't know much about it, other than it will be like R-eset in which Lelouch is sent back to the past...except there's one detail: he does NOT have Geass anymore.

Anyway, that is it from me. I hope you all understand why I am unable to publish much of anything these days. It'll be a miracle if I post anything at all again after this. So, with that in mind...please enjoy the chapter!

* * *

 _"Hand in hand is how it will be, a life and death fight against the fiend, and he whom death bears off shall submit to the judgement of the Lord." -Beowulf_

* * *

 **RWBY: Black Rebellion**

* * *

Rouge couldn't recall the last time he felt the thrill of fighting Grimm.

The excitement of a life or death situation, the feeling of a blade slicing through Grimm flesh, the heart-pounding, spine-tingling rush of combat! All of it was amazing. He felt alive! As the wolves continued to rush at him, intending on ripping him apart, his body spun around wildly, twirling about quickly, and his scythe, Wilted Requiem, continuing to cut through them. He swung and stabbed the blade of his weapon through a Beowolf's body. He heard the growls of two more Grimm behind him. Smirking, Rouge pressed another button on Wilted Requiem, causing a second blade to appear from the backside of the first. With amazing dexterity and strength, Rouge spun on his heel and sliced through the approaching Beowolves with the second blade.

 _'I should thank Ruby for installing that upgrade.'_ the younger twin thought as he ducked underneath a swipe, and swung his scythe, bisecting it with ease. _'It certainly makes things easier.'_ He jumped back and rested the double bladed scythe on his shoulder, taking note of the remaining number of foes. Out of the pack that attacked him, only three remain. _'Three left, one of them an Alpha.'_ Rouge observed as he fell back into a stance. Learning from the mistakes of their pack members, and waited to strike, rather than rush in needlessly. _'I need to finish this quickly.'_ He clicked a button on the shaft of Wilted Requiem, causing a cartridge of ammunition to fall on the ground. He took a new cartridge from the small pouch on his belt and replaced it. In contrast to the old cartridge, the new one had a symbol on the side.

As soon as it was connected and loaded into the scythe, the black designs began to glow slightly, developing red circuits. A smirk played on his face. "Let's turn up the heat."

Rogue slammed his weapon to the ground, one of the blades stabbing into the earth. He took aim at the closest Beowolf, and pulled the trigger. The recoil would have thrown him off of his feet, but it was instead absorbed into the ground. The blast from the barrel of the rifle was like an explosive shot, and when it struck the Beowulf beside the Alpha, a fiery explosion erupted on it's chest, throwing it off of it's feet, and struck the tree behind it. Its body remained motionless as it slid onto the ground, a gaping hole where its chest cavity used to be.

"One down." Rouge then turned his line of fire over to the second Beowolf.

However, the second wasn't about to let him take the shot. It rushed straight at him, causing the teen to scowl slightly as he tried to shoot it down. It was quick and agile on it's feet, leaping away as the shots exploded and impacted on the ground. When it came close, Rouge was forced to duck underneath the strike that would have lopped off his head, were it not for his aura. The wind whipped across his face before he kicked Wilted Requiem out of the ground, flipping it into his hands, and slicing off an incoming arm, following up with another slash that cut off it's leg. The creature cried out in pain, and tried to bite him in relatiation, only for Rouge to vault over it, and ram the end of his scythe into it's back, throwing it to the ground. In swift succession, he buried the scythe into it's body, cutting straight through the skull and into the ground.

The Alpha Beowulf was right in front of him when he opened fire. The Alpha proved to be sturdier than its subordinates as it was merely thrown back by the force of the blast. While it did receive some burns, the attack did not fully penetrate its hide. "Damn," Rouge cursed. "Guess Fire Dust doesn't quite do the trick." He removed Wilted Requiem from it's fleshy sheathe, and fell back into his stance. "I don't have time to be wasting around."

* * *

Jaune was convinced that today was a bad day for him. First he tried to woe Weiss, the girl who had complimented on his looks, only to later learn that it was actual all just a joke. It was a major blow to his self esteem that his mother had told him. Sure, he was named after his ancestor, Joan Arc, who was a girl, and he got a lot of flak for it, and she was the first one to actually compliment his looks other than his mother, but learning she was just joking about it was a hard blow.

And then came the fact that he was thrown into the air, headfirst into a Grimm-infested forest. He was thankful that girl with the red hair, Pyrrha he thinks her name was, stopped him from breaking his neck by impaling his shirt into a tree, like earlier, but... did she have to pin him so high up?! How in the heck was he supposed to get down?! "Hello?!" He called out again, hoping someone was within hearing range. "Can someone please get me down from here?!" Again, he was only met with silence.

A sigh escaped him. "...anyone...?"

Once more, silence. No one was coming.

He hung his head low, a dark cloud hanging over his head. "Why do these things always happen to me...?" Jaune lamented.

Thankfully, however, he received some salvation, noticing the rustling of bushes. Looking down, he found a familiar white-haired girl emerging from the bushes, dusting off her dress. "H-hey..." he waved at her weakly. "Little help?" Weiss stared at him, her face flat, and promptly turned back around into the bush. "H-hey, Weiss?!" She disappeared into the greenery. The blonde's face fell. "W-Wait! Please! Who's going to get me down from here?!" He pleaded.

It just wasn't his day.

"Jaune?" The knight looked down, and to his relief, he found Pyrrha. She smiled almost tauntingly as she crossed her arms. "So," she said playfully. "Do you still have spots on Team Jaune?"

"Ha, ha." he said with a roll of the eyes. "Can you please just get me down?"

* * *

"...Roooooouge? Ruuuuuuby? Helloooooo?" Yang called out as she trekked through the woods. It had already been five minutes since she landed, and still no sign of either of her siblings.

The blonde brawler wasn't worried about them, knowing full well that they were perfectly capable of protecting themselves...but at the same time, she couldn't help but try to find them, in spite of her insistence that Ruby try to find other people to fight alongside with. Perhaps it was her sisterly nature acting up, but she still couldn't help but feel anxious.

After all, both of her siblings entered Beacon two years early. She was worried that they may not even fit in with their fellow students. Honestly, she wasn't sure who to be more worried for: Ruby or Rouge.

"Rubes?" she called out. "Hey! Rubes, Rouge! You here?! Hello!" she bellowed out, only to receive her own echo as a response. A shake of the head followed, and a sigh came after. "Why am I not surprised?" She scratched the back of her head as she observed her surroundings. The forest was oddly quiet, but she could hear fighting off in the distance. Most likely, teams were being formed as they speak. Now, don't get her wrong, she was looking for a team herself, but she was looking for Ruby because she was worried about her. She came to Beacon two years ahead of everyone else, so she was easily nervous, despite her confidence in her skills. She would form a team with Ruby, there was little doubt about that, but she wanted her sister to strike out on her own. After all, she wouldn't be there to cuddle her forever.

Suddenly, movement was seen out of the corner of her eye. "Ruby?" Yang asked, peeking through the brushel. "Is that you?"

"Grrrr..." The black shadow growled. It stood on all fours before it rose up and stood on its hind legs. It was a massive, bear-like creature with fur as black as midnight. It's back was covered with ivory spikes while a white mask with red markings was present on its face.

Yang's smile dropped. "...nope." She quickly jumped back, avoiding being thrashed when the Ursa swung it's paw at her, as if to rip off her head. "Hey, big guy." Yang waved at the Creature of Grimm, known as the Ursai Major. "You seen a little girl with a red hood or a kid with different pair of eyes, would ya?" In response, the Ursa roared, and swung it's paw down. Yang leaped back, performing a backflip to achieve some distance. She flipped her hair back as she she grinned. "You could have just said no instead of 'rawr.'" The Ursa roared again before charging. Yang grinned and cocked her wrists, activating her yellow shotgun gauntlets from their bracelet form: Ember Celica. The beast roared up, running toward her at top speed. Yang slammed her fists into the ground, creating a loud 'bang' as she was propelled into the air, a result of Ember Celica's kickback. She vaulted over the Ursa, shooting off another blast. The beast staggered a bit, swaying through it's charge before it slammed into the trunk of a tree. "Oof," she giggled. "That had to hurt." The Grimm pulled itself away, shaking it's head before turning to Yang, fangs bared in anger. She was about to brace herself for another charge when a loud, bellowing cry emerged from her side. Acting quickly, she brought up her arms, and was thrown back by the sheer amount of force that was put into the strike. Her body tumbled through the ground before she came to a stop.

Looking up, she found another Ursa. This one was glaring at her as well, snapping a loud roar.

"Two for the price of one, huh?" she said as she dusted herself off. "Okay then!" She jumped up, curling her legs up into a ball, leaving the third Ursa to charge in, and run into the second, causing them both to tumble into the ground. As she hit the ground, Yang pounded her fists together. "Sweet~" she said cheekily, excited. She was going to get to fight three Ursa, all at once! This was going to be a lot of fun! ...wait, she was supposed to find Ruby and Rouge, wasn't she? Eh, oh well. It could wait. Her sister was tough, so she wasn't too worried about her. After all, their uncle taught her how to use that scythe of hers, so she'll be kicking ass and taking names. The same could be said with Rouge, seeing as how he was also gifted.

That meant... she could kick the shit out of these suckers~!

"Alright boys," Yang smirked. "Who wants a taste of Yang?" The one on the right growled before charging in first. It stopped just short of her, and swung it's paw. She ducked underneath it, and delivered an uppercut to it's jaw, knocking it upward. With a follow up, she swiveled around on her feet, cocked her fist back, and threw a right hook, hitting it's underbelly. Almost like a boartusk, it's body flipped about into a ball for a few short seconds before hitting the ground, left in a daze. One of the two Grimm from earlier, got back up, and charged at her again. This time, it was ready to bite off her head. Not wanting to get her hair damaged, she instead chose for the direct approach, and rammed her fist in it's jaw, causing it to stagger back. The third Ursa came up from behind the second, ready to slam it's weight on her. She avoided it by flipping backwards on her hands, launching herself into the air to make some distance. Once she did, she unloaded two shots. One hit the first one in the face, causing it to recoil, while the other hit it's shoulder, causing to it cramp down on it's leg.

Meanwhile, the first Ursa charged in, now seething with anger. Yang cracked a cocky grin as she charged in to meet it's advance. Without stopping, she ducked underneath the swipe of it's paw, and swiveled around on her foot. Now behind the Ursa, she jumped up on it's back, and reared back both of her fists. With a swift succession, she began to unload Ember Celica as her fists pounded away at it's armor on it's back. Each struggle caused it to strain to stay on it's legs. Unfortunately it could no longer bear the weight, as she reared both arms back, and swung them both down. A resounding BOOM echoed in the air as Yang was blown off, flying through the air before landing back on the ground. The Ursa cried weakly as it fell on it's stomach, the armor on it's back completely shattered, and it's fur singed. "One down!" she cheered before turning her attention back to the other two.

A massive black paw swung, hitting her on the side.

"Oof!" She grunted as she was thrown into the air. She hit the ground. Hard. But she tumbled and pulled herself up on her feet. "Not bad. So what else can...you..." Her words died in her throat as she saw it. It floated slowly to the ground before her.

A strand of blonde hair.

HER blonde hair.

The Grimm suddenly felt tense when they saw her body trembling. "Y-you..." Creatures of Grimm held only instincts within them. They knew where to find prey by the feeling of aura, a power that belonged only to humans, those with a soul. It was within their instincts to destroy and maim and kill whatever possessed a soul, yet it was also within their instincts to recognize a potential threat. "Y-you...!" And now, a threat stood before them. Yang's head snapped up, her hair suddenly glowing like fire, and her lilac eyes turning bright crimson.

 **"YOU MONSTERS!"**

She rushed forward with newfound speed, her fist cocked. The Ursa before her didn't even see it coming as her fist impacted its snout, shattering it. The power behind the strike was unlike anything before. This time, it's body was thrown back, thrashing to the ground before hitting a tree. Before it even had a chance to recover, the Ursa was suddenly bombarded with strike after strike after strike. The tree threatened to break was the Grimm was pressed further into it, it's belly being torn apart with each shot. The Ursa howled in agony. Yang delivered once final blow right in the throat. The tree gave way. The bark snapped away, and the Ursa plowed through it, neck crushed and broken. The tree fell over, hitting the ground with a thud. The earth shuddered below their feet. A bellow from behind her reminded that Yang there was another Ursa behind her. She was still seething from the damaging of her hair. She wouldn't be happy until she bashed it apart.

"You're next..." She seethed.

The Ursa roared. But before it could even move, a sharp blade stabbed itself into the back of its skull. The blade was then torn free and sliced through the Grimm's neck and upper back. The bear-like creature swayed a bit before toppling over. Yang raised a brow at the sudden action, then saw who stood behind the Ursa.

It was Blake.

The two stared at each other, with the latter pulling out her black blade from the dead beast, slipping it into it's holster.

Yang broke the silence. "...I could have taken it."

* * *

"...are we there yet?" Jaune complained as he and Pyrrha trekked through the forest. "My feet are starting to hurt."

"I think we're almost there." the warrior girl answered as she pushed a branch away from her face. Unfortunately, as she let go, it whipped across at Jaune's face, causing him to be thrown back. The girl whirled around in panic, startled. "Jaune, are you alright?!" she asked in concern, bending down to help him up. "I'm so sorry!"

The knight accepted her hand, and pulled himself up. "It's alright..." he told her, wincing as he gently touched the small cut on his cheek. He hissed in pain as it became irritated. "Ow... Talk about a cut." He drew his fingers away and noticed the amount of blood on them. Yep, definitely a nasty cut.

"That looks like it smarts." Pyrrha noted as she pulled out a small handkerchief from her pocket, and gently wiped away the blood. She then frowned in confusion. "Jaune, why didn't you activate you're Aura?"

"My what?" Jaune asked in confusion.

"Your Aura." She repeated.

"Bless you."

The girl frowned heavily, now even more confused. "Jaune," she asked. "Do you know what aura is?"

Instantly, the blonde became nervous. He knew he heard the term 'aura' somewhere before, but he wasn't sure where. However, his mind became worried about the possibility that perhaps Aura was a major part on being a Huntsman, an tried to play it off. "O-of course I know!" he lied, cringing inside as he realized how obvious he sounded. "Do you know?"

Pyrrha nodded. "Aura is the manifestation of one's soul."

* * *

 _'...it's a bit quiet here,'_ Ren thought as he entered a small clearing within the Emerald Forest. It had been twenty minutes since he had landed, and had already begun making his way to the temple, believing that he would encounter his partner on the way. He had a good idea where it might be, and found himself here. In spite of the quiet, serene feeling the clearing gave, the silence was anything but to anyone aware of the dangers of anyone who knew what lied within the forest. _'Too quiet.'_

In the next moment, he heard something slithering behind him. He quickly looked over his shoulder to see a gargantuan black snake with red markings and red eyes. It was a King Taijutu.

* * *

"It bears our burdens, and shields our hearts."

* * *

The snake hissed, and lashed out at Ren, only for him to vault over it's head, an impressive feet given it's lightening quick snaps. He quickly put distance between the two, and took out his weapons, a pair of dual green guns with blades attached to the barrels.

* * *

"Have you ever felt like you were being watched without knowing that someone was there?"

"Uh... Yeah."

"With practice, our aura can be our shield. Everyone has it, even animals."

"What about monsters?"

"No, the monsters we fight lack a soul."

* * *

The long Grimm ripped through the ground as it advanced, pieces of earth sent flying and ripped apart in it's charging advance. Ren maneuvered away, a series of backflips allowing him to evade it's charge. However, as he was going through the air, the Grimm rammed it's body forward. At that moment, the teen called upon his Aura, and brought up his arms to defend against the attack. The force of the headbutt threw him quite a ways away, but he landed safely on his feet.

* * *

"They are the Creatures of Grimm. The manifestation of anonymity."

* * *

As he regained his bearings, Ren noticed that the snake had begun to coil around him, circling around his prey. Just before it could close in on him, he jumped up, and away from it's grasp.

* * *

"They are the darkness, and we are the light."

"Right. That's why we fight them."

* * *

Ren opened fire on the beast, though his bullets did little to it's skin, which was as thick as armor. It hissed and screeched as it snapped toward him, however Ren propelled himself away from it as he parried it, using the side of it's head as a launching pad, and throwing himself onto it's body, sliding along it's spine as he continued to shoot at it. As the snake regained sight of it's target, it tried to swallow him whole, mouth open, but Ren was far quicker. In a rapid movement, he rammed his palms into the side of it's head, causing it to stagger as it reeled from the effects of the blow, and followed up with a swift kick to the head. This strike caused it's head to strike into the ground, leaving it's neck exposed. As it tried to get up, Ren quickly took the initiative, and the blades from his guns extended, slashing across the neck, and cutting through the armor.

* * *

"It's not about why, it's about knowing."

* * *

The Grimm screamed out in rage, and snaked all around the air before slamming it's head into where Ren stood. He jumped up to avoid it, a cloud of dust and debris flying through the air below him. He took the initative, and threw himself back down to the ground, ramming his blades into the Taijutu's skull.

* * *

"Understanding both dark and light helps us manifest our Aura."

* * *

Ren sighed, slightly exhausted from his encounter, but frowned when he heard something rustling behind him. He looked over his shoulder, and found himself staring at a white body with red markings, and a familiar face staring back at him, hissing and bearing it's fangs while it's red eyes glared at him. "...shit!" he cursed as he jumped off to the side, avoiding the white Grimm from slamming into him.

* * *

"Everyone has some of both."

* * *

As he brought up his guard, his magenta eyes frowned heavily when he saw the black snake move up, it's form slightly drowsy form the attack. Upon a closer look, the white Taijutu and the black Taijutu were actually apart of the same body, dancing and moving together as they glared down on him. Dread filled him as he clenched his grip over his weapons, wishing he had some backup right about now.

* * *

"By bearing your soul outward as a force, you can deflect harm."

* * *

Mustering his courage, he ran over. He jumped over the white head's assault, running along it's back, and sliding along it's spine, and began to open fire on the creatures. He continuously moved his body around as he slid along the body of the Grimm, aiming for various parts, but found that none of his attacks were making a dent. As he jumped up, intending to get a better vantage point, one of the heads shout out from nowhere, and batted him away, tossing him to the ground, and his guns thrown out of his hands.

* * *

"You project yourself and your soul with fighting."

* * *

Ren groaned as he stood up to his knee, a hand on his head. "That hurt..." he muttered before looking up, finding the black head of the Taijutu glaring down at him, it's mouth open. It's head snapped forward with the intent on devouring him. Ren brought up his hands, and braced himself. The snake tried to bite down on him. Keyword was tried, as its fangs were stopped by a glowing plan on Ren's hands. The teen struggled against the force behind the strike, but stood his ground. In a swift motion, he pushed his hands forward, snapping the fangs in his hands, grabbed them, and with a fierce palm strike powered by his aura, shot the ivory spire through the Grimm's eye.

It's form quaked as the fang went out through the other end. A second later, it's head imploded. The black half of the snake fell to the ground, now lifeless. Ren turned his attention to the white half of the Taijutu, and narrowed his eyes. "...one down." The snake hissed in fury, and charged forward. Ren followed up as well.

* * *

"Now, close your eyes, and concentrate." Pyrrha instructed. Jaune couldn't help but blush when her hand touched his cheek, and how close she was. 'Wow, she's beautiful...' he thought, clearly embarrassed. 'T-then again, Weiss is pretty beautiful too! ...but she also apparently doesn't like me either.'

"U-uh..." Jaune did as he was told, and closed his eyes. He tried to picture what a physical representation of Aura was like. Given Pyrrha's lecture, he assumed it was like a sword and shield, so he visioned it as such, much like Crocoa Mars. He pictured a blade within a sword, decorated and clearly meant to cut down everything in it's path, while the shield, strong and sturdy, would protect everyone around him, and even himself.

With the image now in his mind, Pyrrha closed her eyes as well. However, as she opened them, her green eyes glowed, and a light red aura danced around her body. "For it is in passing that we achieve immortality," she recited the words that had been passed down to her when she had her Aura unlocked. Soon, a white aura began to dance around Jaune. "Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death." Gently, her hand touched his breastplate. "I release your soul. And by my shoulder, protect thee."

As soon as her hands left him, Jaune could feel...something within him rising to the surface. He opened his blue eyes, and looked down at himself. "Okay," he said with a giddy smile, noticing the white light around his body. "This is so cool." He then turned back to Pyrrha, intending to thank her, but grew concerned when he noticed her breathing rather heavily, her hands on her knees. "P-Pyrrha?"

"It's alright." she told him, gaining her strength back as she straightened herself out. "I used my aura to unlock yours, but the energy that protects you now is your own." She smiled as she saw the cut on Jaune's face heal instantly, almost as if it was never there to begin with. "You have a lot of it."

Whoa...really...?" Jaune was amazed with himself...an confused. He really had that much power...? Another smile crossed his face, and clenched his hand. "Alright...!"

* * *

Ren panted heavily as he slipped his weapons into his sleeves, exhausted as he stood atop the corpse of the slowly dissolving Taijutu. The battle was far longer than he anticipated, but he was finally able to defeat the damned thing. He wiped the sweat from his forehead as he straightened himself out, rubbing his shoulders and dusting himself off. _'That was more difficult than I thought,'_ he thought to himself as he wiped off the dirt on his sleeves. _'I hope there are people I can team up with.'_ He paused. _'...I wonder how Nora's doing?'_

"Bhhrrrra! Bhhrrra!"

He smiled softly. _'Speak of the Devil.'_ He looked behind him, and found Nora, hanging from a tree branch, upside down with a massive grin on her face. "I still don't think that's what a sloth sounds like."

The orange haired girl let out a broad grin. "Boop!" She took her finger and tapped him on the nose.

* * *

"Our last pair has been formed, sir." Glynda informed, loading up the screen on her Scroll. "Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren." A sad expression crossed her face as she recalled the video footage of her battle with the Grimm on her way to find her partner. She had never seen someone so hyperactive and wild. She actually pitied the poor Grimm that ended up on the receiving end of her hammer. "Poor boy. I can't possibly imagine those two getting along." She paused as she loaded up another screen. "Still, he's probably better off than Ms. Nikos." Ozpin and Qrow raised an eyebrow as they looked at the woman, her face set into an angry frown. "I don't care what his transcripts say, that Jaune fellow is not ready for this level of combat."

"Maybe," Qrow shrugged his shoulders. "Kinda weird how his Aura hasn't been unlocked yet. Usually anyone who joins a training school has theirs unlocked on the first day." Indeed, it was pretty concerning. Without his Aura unlocked, he would've been easy prey for the Grimm. Hell, he wouldn't even be alive after landing in the Emerald Forest if it wasn't for Pyrrha helping him.

"I guess we'll find out soon enough." the blonde-haired teacher said as she exited out of the video footage, and slid the Scroll back to it's inactive form. "At their current pace, they should reach the temple within just a few minutes." Unknown to Glynda, Ozpin was watching two video feeds from the cameras that were placed in the Emerald forest. One showed Ruby and Weiss, the two bickering about which way they should go, and the other showed Rouge, trekking through the forest, all the while keeping a vigilant eye on his surroundings. "Speaking of which," Glynda said as she turned around to face the man. "What did you use as relics this year?"

The man didn't answer, instead more focused on the screen presented to him.

"...Wait...don't tell me..." Qrow grinned, recognizing this sort of behavior from Ozpin.

The man smiled. "Yes, I used the same ones from when STRQ were still my students." he answered. "Also, you're nephew is quite gifted. I assume that Ruby designed his weapon?"

"Yep," he nodded. "She's just like Summer; a massive weapons' nerd." A sigh escaped his lips, remembering the more happier days of his team's career. "Those were the days... God damn, I miss that."

"You mean you and Raven getting into it whenever you did something idiotic." Glynda shook her head. "Gods, I remember how much of a headache the two of you caused me. It got even worse when Taiyang was involved."

"Oh, please." the scythe master rolled his eyes. "We weren't THAT bad."

Glynda gave him a flat glare. "...Mr. Branwen," she said, her tone cold and frigid. The impact was even more pronounced by the fact that she was addressing him how she had when he was also a student. "Need I remind you WHAT the two of you did on the last day of your second term here?"

"Uh...No?" He asked rather than stated. Ozpin snickered, which was unusual, though the memory was just too funny for him, all for several reasons. He could still remember what the Branwen twins had done so vividly.

"Then allow me to refresh your memory, does the sight of your sister, in her bath towel, holding her sword, and chasing after you through the halls, all the while shouting every possible curse word imaginable as well as describing how she is going to kill you ring any bells?!"

"...Oh...right..." Qrow drawled lamely. It wasn't really his fault though.

Glynda kept her face locked as she took out her Scroll again, typing on it at a fast pace before showing playing a video feed.

 _ **"COME BACK HERE AND TAKE YOUR PUNISHMENT LIKE A MAN TAI!"**_

 _ **"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! CATCH US IF YOU CAN SIS!"**_

 _ **"I HATE YOU FOR THIS, QROW!"**_

The video feed, as Glynda described, had Raven Branwen, clad in only a towel that hid her rather proportionate body parts, but it looked ready to come off. Her face was set into fury, eyes glowing red, and a dark aura around her as she swung her blade around wildly. In front of her was a younger, laughing Qrow, and an absolutely terrified Taiyang Xiao Long.

"Okay, in my defense," the scythe wielder held up his hands in defense. "That was all Taiyang's fault. I mean, hey, how were we supposed to know that the girls were taking a bath?" He paused, and grinned. "And I still think Tai's a lucky bastard. Who would have thought that Raven and Summer had-"

"One more word, Mr. Branwen, and I will throw you from this cliff with your sword shoved right where you don't want it to be." Glynda warned as she ended the video feed.

"Alright, alright..." Qrow held his hands up in resignation.

He still stands by to this day that Taiyang was a lucky bastard. It was actually a wonder how neither of the boys knew until that particular day that Summer had quite the figure, which the drunkard considered to be a blessing in disguise. Now, if only he could get his sister to be how she used to be, back during their glory days as STRQ... If only she could the girl he used to know as his sister, rather than the masked swordsman named Raven Branwen.

* * *

Elsewhere, in Vale, a large group of people were moving about. They were easily recognizable by the masks on their faces, and their black and white clothing, as well as the weapons in their hands. The White Fang had been occupying one of the small shipping yards near off to the outskirts of Vale, as there was little trafficking in this part of the region. Therefore, it made an excellent makeshift base, as well as granting them access to various routes to receive and transport supplies to their comrades.

Currently, six members of the White Fang patrolled the area, scouting for any possible intruders. "Man, this sucks..." one of the members complained, sitting against the gate, a rifle leaning against his shoulder. "How come we got stuck with guard duty?"

"Because we got the short sticks, that's why." another member scoffed. "Just keep an eye out."

"For what?" the first guard asked, incredulous. "I doubt anyone knows we're here!"

The third member of the group, who was leaning against the fence, arms folded over his chest with a sidearm at his hip, turned to look at the first guard, a grim expression clear on his face. "You obviously haven't heard about what happened back at Fort Castle." he snorted. "Because it was a relic of a sight, hardly anyone ever came around. That was our last base for a short while, but after we stayed there for a month, we got hit."

"By who?" the second guard asked. "The humans? Huntsman?"

"Worse." he answered. "The Black Fang...and the one leading it was the guy who burned several of our brothers and sisters to a crisp."

Both of the guards expressed shock and disbelief, the first guard staring at him as if he had just grown a second head. "Wait, back up!" he said in disbelief. "You're telling me you actually fought against the Blue Devil, and ESCAPED?"

"I didn't fight him," the third guard corrected his comrade. "I saw what he did. The Captain called for a withdraw when he saw how outmatched we were...and this was after we lost fifty of our men."

"Fi-Fifty?!" The rest of his comrades gaped. A single human...was capable of slaughtering that many of their forces?!

"But even after the Captain had us retreat, many more of our comrades were eradicated. Even the Captain himself." He shook his head grimly.

"Jesus..." the guard shook his head, reeling from the image of his comrades and friends being slaughtered. "What kind of monster is he?"

"I dunno, why don't you find out for yourself, mister Faunus~?"

"Wait, wha-GUAGH!" The Guard couldn't even finish as a blue blade sliced through his throat. This took the other guards by surprise, and turned around wildly to face their attacker. Their faces paled when they found themselves at gun point, the owners being individuals wearing black masks with red markings and black jackets. The owner of the blade that was currently in one of the guard's throat was a young man in a blue jacket, and a toothy grin plastered over his face. Beneath the shadows of the hood, one could see the faint glowing of his eyes.

"So," the hooded individual said jovially. "Who wants to scream first?"

"Th-The-The-The Blue Devil...and the Black Fang..." The identified Blue Devil grinned. "Give 'em a prize."

"Yes sir!" He Black Fang members nodded and pulled the triggers on their weapons, gunning down the White Fang guards.

The sound of gunfire alerted the members of the camp. Instantly, every Faunus in the shipping yard became alarmed, even more so when the lighting was cut off. "Oi!" one of them cried out. "Get the power back on!" It took a few minutes, but eventually, the lights were restored, thanks to the back-up generator. However, when they came up, the White Fang suddenly found themselves staring at a group of black-clothed individuals wearing black masks, with the Blue Devil right in front of them. "Y-you...!" one of the members paled. "You people are...!"

"Man, talk about a haul~" the hodded figure chuckled as he pulled his hoodie down. "Remind me to thank our informant!" The Blue Devil, much to their shock, was no older than 18, having chin-length electric blue hair, and striking blue eyes, as well as a wide grin on his face. "Alright, ladies and gents...!" He brought up his sword. In a matter of seconds, it became wreathed in azure blue flames.

"LET'S PARTY!"

A second later, all of hell broke loose.

* * *

"...remind me again," Ruby deadpanned. "Why exactly are we taking this route?"

"J-just shut up, okay?!" Weiss snapped, a furious blush on her face as they walked through a heavily dense area of the forest. "This is the quickest way to the temple!"

"But you fell in quicksand... Twice!"

"I said shut up!"

They had been walking for nearly twenty minutes since they first paired up. Thanks to Weiss's sense of direction, the pair was now lost. Truthfully, Weiss had found a path to the temple, but as Ruby stated earlier, the path was not the most pleasant of one. They had found quite a few Grimm along the way, as well as the occasional pits of quicksand, which the heiress had an uncanny knack of falling into. Quite honestly, it made Ruby want to roll her eyes, but the two, in spite of their hostilities, had come to grow as partners, if only to a certain degree. Weiss had seen her skills with the scythe, and she was quite impressed. Ruby similar was impressed by Weiss' fighting ability, as well as her usage of her Semblance and Dust.

To save time, be it out of boredom or something else, they had also discussed their families. The red-clad reaper made it a point not to bring up Rouge, as it appeared to be a sore spot for the girl. "So, um... got any siblings?"

"One." Weiss answered as she hopped over a small puddle of mud. "An older sister."

"Oh, so like mine." the girl smiled. At least they had one thing in common. "Is she at Beacon too?"

"No, she graduated from Atlas Academy." she replied. "She can be quite... overbearing." While it was true, Weiss greatly admired and respected her sister. She made her feel like she was an actual person, rather than simply as the heiress to the Schnee Dust Corporation. Winter Schnee may have been a strict individual, being a ranking figure in the Atlas military, but she was also a caring, compassionate sister.

"I know what that feels like." Ruby giggled. "Yang may not look it, but she can be pretty brutal when she wants to be. There was this one time a group of kids bullied me during my first year at Signal. I tried to deal with it myself, because I didn't want to be a burden, but when Yang found out, well..." A nervous chuckled escaped her as she rubbed her neck. "Let's just say they now have an unnatural fear of blondes." Well...there was that and the fact that those bullies have become completely traumatized by a particular hetero-chromatic boy. After Rouge heard of this as well...let's just say that whatever Rouge did to them...Hell would've been a mercy.

"Why am I not surprised?" Weiss drawled. Eventually, the two reached a small clearing, though what they found in the clearing was enough to make the two stop dead in their tracks, eyes wide, and mouths gaping. "Not..." she whispered to her partner. "One... Word..."

In front of them was a gigantic black bird, sleeping lazily with it's wings curled around it. It was without a doubt a Grimm, evident by the white mask on it's face, but it wasn't just any Grimm... It was a Nevermore, one of the most dangerous Grimm on record, and judging by it's size, it has been around for a very long time, as the bigger the Grimm, the more gigantic it's size, and the greater it's power. Weiss immediately knew that they had no chance of winning if it woke up, so she played it safe, and gently stepped back. Out of fear of being seen, the two quickly hid among the bushes.

"Is that what I think it is?!" Ruby whispered in panic. Weiss nodded, clearly troubled as well. "What's a Nevermore that big doing here?! I thought there was only supposed to be just Beowolves, Ursa, and Death Stalkers!"

"Well, I don't think even the staff can keep track of all the Grimm in the area. This must be one of them."

"What do we do?!"

"The best thing we can do is quietly walk away and not wake it up. There is no way we can beat this thing if it gets in our way."

"But how do we do that?" Ruby questioned. "We have to get to the temple, and you said this was the shortest way there!"

"I know that!" Weiss hissed. "We'll simply have to walk around it!"

Ruby pouted slightly. They had already wasted enough time as is. For all they knew, Initiation was probably already over, and they failed the test. They needed to reach the temple, and quickly... but how were they supposed to get there? She looked back at the Nevermore, and stared at it angrily. ' _Stupid oversized bird!'_ she thought angrily. _'Why couldn't you just be flying off somewhere?!'_ She paused. _'Wait...fly?'_

"Hey Weiss...I just got an idea."

* * *

"...so that's the temple." Rouge said as he found his destination.

It had taken about half an hour, but he was finally at the specified location. He had not encountered anyone on his way here, so he had not found a partner as of yet. He was fine with it for now, so long as he wasn't paired up with Weiss, much less Cardin. He made his way down the hill, approaching the structure all the while minding his surroundings. "Looks like others have reached here," he noted, seeing a few podiums left empty. His eyes scrunched in confusion, seeing the relics.

"Chess pieces?" It was odd. The artifacts they were assigned to retrieve...were chess pieces? "...What a crafty man you are...Professor Ozpin..."

He smiled wryly as he took one of the pieces, that being a black colored King. "If a king doesn't lead," he recited his own personal philosophy. "How can he expect his subordinates to follow?" He did not know when he first made these words his philosophy, but he didn't care, as he felt that this phrase was engraved into his soul.

He tossed the piece a few times in his palm before slipping it into his pocket. He had completed the first objective, now he needed to complete the second; find a partner. "Well, speak of the Devil~!" a familiar voice called out. "Rouge! Hey!" The twin male Rose turned to find his older sister arriving from a nearby bush, accompanied by the familiar figure of Blake Belladonna. "I was just talking about you!"

"Yang...and Blake...Glad to see you two made it here safely."

"You too." the black-haired girl nodded. She then looked around the area, as if expecting his partner to be close by, but found that he had none. "Did you not find a partner?"

Rouge shook his head. "No, though given the rules of Initiation, I guess we're partnered up for the time being.

"Well, I guess so...but it's kind weird since there are three of us now..."

"Couldn't be weirder than maybe someone riding in atop an Ursa, or hell forbid, someone dropping from atop a Nevermore." Rouge joked, earning a grin from his older sister.

"Yeah. What are the odds of either of those two things happening?"

Unfortunately, unknown to Rouge, he had just jinxed himself as he heard the sound of roars and snarls coming from behind him. The three whirled around to find an Ursa emerging from the forest, standing on it's hind legs and roaring and snarling. As the three prepared for combat, a loud voice yelled "YEEHAW!" before the large beast suddenly ceased, it's body swaying and falling to the ground. Falling off of it was a girl with short orange hair and turquoise eyes. Her clothing was a mix and match of some sort, with different colors and themes. She wore a collared black vest that ended at her waist. Her apparent emblem, a hammer with a lightning bolt, was found on the back. Under the vest were two layers of clothing, colored red and light-blue respectively. She sported a turquoise bow at the back of her skirt. She also wore a white sleeveless top that forms a tiny heart shape between her cleavage and collarbone, with a white detached sleeve on each arm. She wore matching fingerless gloves on each hand. She sported a pink skirt that starts at the waist and ends mid-thigh. Her shoes were a mix of pink and white with pink laces, displaying her emblem on their soles. She also wore armor that began in the middle of the shoulder and neck and ends by the waist. "Aww, it's broken!" the girl pouted before she hopped atop it's body, looking down at the corpse. "Ewww..."

"Nora...?" a weak voice called out. Staggering away from the Ursa, clearly winded, was a male teenager with long black hair tied into a ponytail that ended midway down his back. There was a magenta streak on the left side of his hair. His eyes were pale pink, and wore a dark green, diagonally-buttoned, long-sleeved tailcoat that was red on the inside, with black and gold trimming and pink cuffs. The trimming went down the right side of his torso and formed a black collar. He also wore a black, long-sleeved shirt beneath the suit, and light-tan pants with black shoes. "Please," he begged. "Never do that again." To his confusion, the girl was gone, causing him to look around wildly for her.

He didn't have to look far, as in a split second, she was right next to Rouge, looking at a white Rook piece. "Ooooh~!" she said, ogling the piece before she darted around with the chess piece atop her head. "I'm Queen of the Castle~! I'm Queen of the Castle~!"

"NORA!"

Nora stopped her little dance and grinned. "Heehee...Coming Ren~" She saluted as she dropped the Rook from her head into her hand and skipped over to her partner.

The three blinked rapidly at what they had seen before Yang and Rouge stared at one another. "...I didn't think that would actually happen." he deadpanned. "Though I doubt someone will fall from the sky."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH...!" A high pitched scream cut through the air.

"Huh? Did you guys hear that? Some girl is in trouble!"

"Uh, guys...?" She pointed upward. The two looked up at the sky...and promptly panicked.

"RUBY!"

Both siblings screamed in panic. They were witnessing their sister free falling from te sky with no way of stopping her descent. "HEEEEAAAAADS UUUUUUUP!"

However, as she continued to fall, a yellow blur flew in and intercepted her fall, causing both figures to crash into a tree instead.

As it turned out, the figure was none other than Jaune, having been thrown into the air for whatever reason. His body was hanging upside down from a branch, his foot stuck on one of the sticks, while Ruby was holding her head, Nevermores circling around her head with swirls in her eyes, back pressed against the bark of the tree. Rouge sighed in relief, thankful that the blonde had saved his sister, if perhaps a bit unintentionally. The same could be said for Yang, making a mental note to thank Jaune.

"Did your sister..." Blake said, completely taken for a loop. "Just fall from the sky?"

"I-"

Before Yang could breathe out a word, a familiar red-head emerged from the forest, running at top speed while breaking through the thicket, much to the group's utter shock and horror, was a gigantic creature covered in thick white armor, two pincers for claws, a giant golden stinger attached to it's tail, and several red eyes. _'Oh, hell...'_ Rouge paled. ' _Please don't tell me that's what I think it is...'_

But much to his chagrin, it was exactly what he thought it was. A Deathstalker, one the size of an average bus. Based on this, he deduced it to be an Elder Deathstalker, one that's been around from quite sometime.

"Did she just come here with a Deathstalker on her tail?" Blake questioned, growing further confused by every passing moment.

"Grr..." Yang growled. Rouge looked at her sister. She looked about ready to blow. That is never a good sign. "...GRAAAAAGH! I can't take it anymore! Can't everyone just chill out for like, two seconds before something crazy happens?!" As if on cue, Pyrrha brought up her shield, defending against the lashing of one of the pincers, throwing her back. Ruby snapped out of her daze, shaking her head, and looked at the sight in front of her. "Oh, crap!" Her eyes widened as she quickly lept up. "Sorry, Jaune! Be right back!"

"W-wait, Ruby-!"

She was already leaping out of the tree, using the recoil of her gun to launch her forward, speeding toward to catch Pyrrha. The two tumbled through the ground, eventually coming to a stop next to Rouge and the others.

"Uh, Hi guys!" Ruby waved at her brother and sister from the ground.

"Ruby!" Yang cheered, running to hug her sister.

"Yang!" Ruby cried as she leaped up to her feet, about to reciprocate-

"NORA!"

The ginger girl jumped up from between them, causing interference.

"Great," Rouge rolled his eyes at their antics. "The gang's all here. Now we can all die together!"

"...wait," Pyrrha looked around, clearly troubled. "Where's Weiss?"

"YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUU DDDDDDDUUUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNNNNNNCCCCCCCCCCEEEEEEEE!"

Everyone looked up to the sky. "...found her." Rouge deadpanned. The Schnee Heiress was hanging onto the Nevermore's feathers for dear life.

"...I said jump..." Ruby retorted meekly.

"She's gonna fall." Blake pointed out.

"She'll be fine." Ruby said in fake assurance.

"She's falling." Ren deadpanned.

The white-haired girl was now plummeting downwards, arms and legs flailing all the while screaming. Jaune finally managed to remove himself from whatever was holding him, and looked up to find the girl falling. He was about to run in and grab her as she fell, but then looked at the ground. He gulped, seeing the distance down. "O-oh boy..." he gaped, feeling his stomach beginning to churn in ways it was not supposed to. "This is...so gonna hurt, isn't it?" He took a deep breath, tapping his cheeks as he took a few steps back. "O-okay... You can do this, Jaune. You can do this. Just..."

He gulped.

"...don't die."

He jumped.

In midflight, he managed to catch the falling girl in his arms. 'Whew! Made it! Still alive too!' He mentally sighed with relief. It took him a second to remember that they were still in mid-air, prompting him to panic.

"OOOOOOH CRAAAAAAAAP!"

Jaune fell on the ground first. Weiss followed immediately after, on his back.

"My hero," she said as he looked at her nails, disinterested.

Jaune, however, groaned. He wasn't going to tell her how heavy she was, but he was most certainly going to complain about the pain she had inflicted on his body. "My back..."

Everyone was now gathered at the temple, the Nevermore above flew away from the area, but had no desire to leave. The Deathstalker on the other hand found its prey and refused to let it go.

"Okay..." rouge frowned. "We've got a Deathstalker and a Nevermore... This is certainly fun, isn't it?"

They have two Grimm, some of the more dangerous species, blocking them off back to the Cliff.

Jaune paled as he got up, not liking the odds. "We are so screwed..."

"Not if I can help it!" Ruby cried, suddenly ran forward, reaching for Crescent Rose, which unfurled into it's scythe form. Yang shouted for her to stop, but Ruby was already in motion. The scythe suddenly let loose a loud 'BANG!', causing it to recoil, and send her flying straight towards the Death Stalker. Rouge' eyes widened in horror. What in the hell was she thinking?! She was being stupid! She couldn't go up against a Death Stalker by herself! This fact was made evident when it swung it's pincer at her, knocking her away. Her body slid across the ground before she stood back up on shaky feet, easily rattled by the attack. "D-do-don't worry!" she called out weakly. "Totally fine!" She aimed the tip of her scythe, allowing another 'BANG!' to pierce in the air. The shot didn't even so much as affect the Death Stalker, it's armor to thick to penetrate.

Seeing her attack ineffective, Ruby chose the correct course of action. She disengaged her weapon as it folded in on itself, and slipped it behind her back as she took off in a run. "Ruby!" Yang called out in concern, running after her sister. Unfortunately, the Nevermore had noticed them, and began to chase after the red-hooded girl. It let out a blood-curdling caw as it swung it's wings, shooting several fathers that would make the girl it's pincushion. Thankfully, none of them hit her, but one did impale itself on her cape, halting her movements, while the rest impeded Yang's progress. Her eyes widened in horror as she saw the Death Stalker creep up on the smaller girl. "Ruby, get out of there!"

"I'm trying!" she shouted back, but only now realized the dire situation as the Death Stalker reared back it's stinger, intent on running her through. She shut her eyes.

She awaiting the unbearable pain of her body being run through by the pointed appendage...yet nothing came.

"Honestly! Sometimes you are such an idiot, sis!"

The girl opened her eyes, and found two things in front of her, barring the lashing stinger of the Death Stalker from piercing her. One was the familiar, purple scythe called Wilted Requiem, and the other, a gigantic block of ice that trapped the giant scorpion's stinger and right pincer.

"You are so childish!" Weiss Schnee snapped as she removed Myrtenaster, turning to face her young partner with a cross look on her face. Ruby gawked, seeing Rouge and Weiss standing right in front of her. The white-haired heiress' rapier that she had removed from the ground was orginally embedded into the earth, trapping the stinger in its frozen prison. Rouge stood in front of her, his eyes set into a narrowed glare of concern, and his scythe propped over his shoulder. "And dim-witted, and hyperactive..." Weiss continued as she stood up, glaring at her with scrutiny. "...and don't even get me started on your fighting style." She paused. "And, I suppose..." she looked away, appearing to be slightly abashed. "I can be a bit... difficult."

Rouge scoffed. "Understatement of the century..." he muttered. Thankfully, she didn't hear him.

"...but if we're going to do this," she looked back at Ruby, narrowing her eyes. "We're going to have to do this together. So, if YOU quit trying to show off, I'll be..." She hesitated once more, mentally cursing herself for doing so twice in a row. Rouge, however, looked amused. It was clear she was not used to this. "Nicer."

Ruby looked at the ground. "I'm not trying to show off," she insisted. "I want you guys to know, I can do this."

"You're fine." Weiss shook her head, a miniscule smile on her face.

The hetero-chromatic boy smirked. "Well, what do you know?" he joked in a scathing tone. "The Ice Queen does have a heart after all."

"Hush, you." the girl glared at him before helping Ruby up to her feet. They quickly rejoined their friends, though Jaune was quick to notice that the Nevermore was circling around them, as if watching it's prey. "Okay, now what?"

"We grab the relics, and go." Rouge said. "Our task is to retrieve the relics, not fight the Grimm."

"So run and live...That's a plan I can get behind." Jaune nodded in relief.

Ruby smiled as she took one of the white chess pieces, the same one that Yang had taken earlier; the white Knight. She looked back at Jaune as he took a white rook piece, and he nodded back at her. The two then pocketed away the relics, and quickly moved away from the sight. "Let's go!" the red reaper said as she ran up the hill. From behind them, Rouge looked over his shoulder, seeing that the Deathstalker was managing to break free from it's icy prison. He then turned back to Ruby, and smiled proudly, seeing her ahead of the group, determination clear on her face.

"She looks a lot like mom when she's like this, huh?" Yang said, running next to him. she had a proud smile on her face as well, happy to see that her baby sister was starting to come into her own.

"She does." he agreed. As they continued to run away, the Nevermore let out a shrill shriek, and gave chase to them.

* * *

Unknown to Rouge or the others, however, there was another spectator that was watching Initiation. The figure was sitting atop a cliff that overlooked the Emerald Forest, much like the one that Glynda and Ozpin and Qrow were at. It was a woman, given her physique. They wore a shallow cut black dress, five necklaces with an assortment of beads, a red girdle-belt, and a pair of matching gauntlets. An object that looked to be made from feathers hanged from the right side of her skirt. She also wore black, thigh-length boots with a red splatter pattern. Her most distinctive feature was a fearsome, full-face mask that resembles the face of a Creature of Grimm. The mask bore four eye slits, further enhancing the character's inhuman appearance. At her side was a large sheathe, with a slim handle protruding from it.

"Hmph...It's almost as if I'm watching the past..." The woman mused.

The scenery truly brought up a few memories for her. Ruby Rose was just like Summer, only without that timid nature of hers. Her personality brought forth a clash between her and Weiss Schnee, the stuck-up and arrogant brat thinking that she deserved everything simply because she was some daughter of a major corporation. Blake Belladonna was definitely just as experienced as Pyrrha Nikos, evident in the way she held herself up. Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie were also interesting, with the former being a good contrast and more level-headed companion to the overly eccentric latter. She was growing slightly exasperated with Jaune Arc. Despite coming from a prestigious and powerful family, it was painfully clear he had no formal training whatsoever. It was obvious this was his first taste of actual combat. She was also glad to see that Yang Xiao Long was holding herself up nicely, though her thrill of battle and lack of care regarding her surroundings could use a bit more work. It was just begging for trouble.

However, she wasn't here to observe them. No, she was here to observe one person in particular, the same person who had made that declaration to her all those years ago.

Her attention was focused on one male in the group. The brother of Ruby and Yang, Rouge Rose.

"...looks like your doing well, little one." the woman said, smiling beneath her mask. Ever since that day...she's continued to watch over him. To see if he will follow through with his vow. His promise.

Qrow had warned him repeatedly to stray from his path, but he refused to do so. He continued to trudge forward. He wasn't like her, who believed that the weak shall one day perish. He knew that this was the way of the world, that only those with strength could march forward, but he refused to accept that order of the world. He rejected it with every fiber of his being, denied it with all of his heart. His reason being his twin sister, Ruby. He knew that she was weak, hopeless and naive, lost in this world. Even if she became stronger, it would all be for naught, and that she would fall into darkness like all the others, like her own mother, Summer.

It was because she was weak that Rouge rejected the notion of the strong ruling over the weak, that those without power will one day fade away into nothingness. She remembered his declaration to her on the day she met him for the first time at Summer's Grave. She had seen his eyes. Eyes lit ablaze with rage and strength. Eyes that refused to bow. Eyes that would not succumb to despair.

Eyes that shown the will of one who would throw the world into chaos for the sake of one little girl.

Just the thought of it brought a smile to her face. He was definitely not like her. After all she had witnessed in her years as a Huntress...that boy was definitely an irregularity. "I wonder..." the woman mused. "Would you willingly destroy the world...all for the sake of your sister?" That was the question always on her mind when it came to Rouge. Would he willingly go so far for a single person?

And yet, somewhere in the back of her mind, Raven Branwen already knew the answer.

* * *

 **Initiation, part II...END**

* * *

 _"That's right, run swiftly. If you live through this battle, you will be a true warrior. And you will carry on." -?_


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Notes:** ...okay, so I finally got back into the groove of things, and with the help of Code-Emperor07 and Otaku-Nation666, I have returned with Black Rebellion, plus just got a RoosterTeeth FIRST membership, so now I can watch Volume 4 Episodes as soon as it's released! Speaking of which...daaamn that opening song! The meaning behind it, and the new characters that have been introduced! I gotta say, with the way things are going, what I had in mind for the events of Volume 4 have changed significantly. On a side note, daaaaamn Ruby! What did you do to Cinder?! She is fucked up HARD! Note to self, when she goes Silver-Eyes Mode, stand the hell back!

Anyway, with that said, I hope you guys enjoy the chapter, even though it's just same old canon stuff leading up to altered events leading up to the climax of Volume 1. Volume 2 is when things start to change, and come Volume 3, expect a battle of wits between Cinder and Rouge! Speaking of which...I have something to ask you guys. Lately, I've been getting questions as to whom Rouge is paired up with. If I may be frank, I have no idea who. If you have suggestions, I am all ears.

Also...someone asked if the Blue Devil is Jeremiah. The answer is NO! That is not Jeremiah. That is an OC created by Code-Emperor07, which you may recognize from our collaborative work, LNCE of Kresnik. He will be apart of Rouge's Team, alongside two other characters from canon. Who they are, I cannot say. That's for me to know, and you to find out~

Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

* * *

 _"What is defeat? Nothing but education. Nothing but the first step to something better." -Wendell Phillips  
_

* * *

 **RWBY: Black Rebellion**

* * *

Several hours after Initiation had come to an end, all the students that had completed the initiation stood together on a large stage. The rest of the student body gathered in the large auditorium and looked on as Professor Ozpin stood at the front by a microphone as he addressed all in attendance regarding the new hunters' success after watching their exploits on the many large screens around them.

"Russell Thrush, Cardin Winchester, Dove Bronzewing, and Sky Lark. You four retreived the black bishop pieces. From this day forward you will be working as team CRDL. Led by, Cardin Winchester." the crowd applauded as the newly appointed team stood proud.

The headmaster turned to the next team as they stood ready. "Jaune Arc, Lie Ren, Pyrrah Nykos, and Nora Valkyrie. The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forward you will work together as team JNPR. Led by, Jaune Arc."

Jaune paled when he heard the man, "Huh?...led by?" he asked while the team congratulated him. Ozpin nodded, "Congradulations, young man." Pyrrah punched Jaune in the arm and he toppled over not expecting it.

Smiling lightly at the display, Ozpin turned to face the last batch of students. He noticed how uncomfortable poor Ruby looked, being on the center stage while also being looked at by the audience around them. "And lastly... Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long. The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward you will work together as team RWBY. Led by, Ruby Rose."

To say the girl was shocked was an understatement. Her eyes were wide, her mouth open and speechless. Yang wrapped an arm around her sister's shoulders, a smile of joy and pride on her face.

Blake looked indifferent, but she was happy for the girl. Weiss, meanwhile, looked shocked beyond recognition. It was clear that she had expected to be the one to be chosen leader...but that was not what she had anticipated. Ruby, however, was shocked beyond all belief. She...was made leader?

From the stands, Rouge smiled, leaning against the wall with his arms folded. "Nice work, sis," he congratulated silently. "Knew you could do it."

The newly dubbed Team RWBY walked off the stage, allowing Ozpin to make his next announcement. "And now for our remaining student who passed the Initiation...Rouge Rose. Please step forward." The heterochromatic boy pushed himself off the wall, and made his way on the stage. As he did, he passed by Ruby, and gave her a congratulatory smile. The silver-eyed girl blushed heavily, obviously still in shock. As the girls returned to the stands, Rouge stood on stage, in front of the Headmaster of Beacon Academy. "Rouge Rose...you are the lone student to have picked up the Black King Piece and did not become partners with any of the other students..."

The boy didn't look the least bit concerned about his predicament. Ruby and Yang were, however. Technically speaking, he had been made partners with Yang and Blake during the last stages of Initiation, so that should have count...obvious not, though. They were worried. Was he going to be kicked out because he didn't have a partner?

"However," Ozpin continued. "Your skills, bravery, tactics, and camaraderie with Teams RWBY and JNPR have proved to be valuable assets. Additionally, your retrieval of the Black King Piece has more than earned you a spot here at Beacon Academy. Therefore, until made otherwise, you will act independently from your peers."

This proclamation caused clamor to arise from the other students and those observing the ceremony. A student was assigned to act as an Independent unit? This has never been done before...

Rouge nodded. "Understood."

"Very good," Ozpin smiled. With that, Rouge returned to the stands, where he joined his sisters and her newly made team. Soon, a wide grin formed on the man's face. "Well, looks like things are turning out to be a rather interesting year..."

That was an understatement. After all...given what he had observed back in the Emerald Forest...this year's batch of initiates have great potential.

Now, it was simply the matter of testing and tempering their strengths.

* * *

As the day had approached it's end, all teams were escorted to their living arrangements. While the dorm was indeed co-ed, they had separated facilities for both men and women, which was a relief to the girls who did not want boys walking in on them bathing. As they shared the same room, however, they were expected to be civil. Speaking of the rooms, as students could modify their living arrangements however they pleased, the room itself only had four beds and white walls. It was freely customizable so long as it was to the liking of the whole team.

Rouge sat on one of the four empty beds, as he was by himself for now. A one-man team as it were, though chances were, once Ozpin made his decision, he would be placed on another team. Regardless of how things go, everything was working out nicely. A satisfied smile was clear on his face as he was browsing through the information on his Scroll, looking over the details that were sent to him. It was information on the White Fang's most recent...setback. One of their bases on the outskirts of Vale had been destroyed, leaving few survivors. Those that were left were captured and interrogated for more information. There was no new developments yet...but it was only a matter of time. As things stood, he was in a good position.

All he needed to do now...was wait for the opportune moment. Of course, being the careful planner he was, he had also taken the liberty of hacking into Beacon's files, using a secure line to ensure secrecy. He had all the public info on every student in Beacon now, including those who had successfully passed Initiation. He now had a fairly good idea of what each student in his year was capable of, such as their weapons and fighting style. Although, the set transcripts that confused him were those from Jaune Arc.

Based on what he had witnessed from the Blonde, his transcripts don't quite match up to him. Sure he did well to lead his new team in killing that Death Stalker, but according to his papers, he should've been capable of more. The more he looked at the transcripts, the more blatantly obvious it was that these hardly told how good Jaune was. If at all anything, it was a flimsy lie. That meant, of course, that it was fake. False transcripts...which meant that Jaune had virtually lied his way into Beacon Academy.

That, however, raised the giant question...if Jaune had lied about getting into Beacon, then why was he still here? Ozpin may be getting on in his years, but he definitely no fool. He could tell, easily, that Jaune's transcripts were fake, so why allow the boy to participate? Although, then again, given what Rouge saw back during Initiation...he was hardly half-baked. It seemed that he was the sort of person who 'bloomed' on the battlefield, where danger was most present. A sound strategy, able to figure out how to defeat the Death Stalker by using it's stinger...and recognizing the individual strengths of his teammates simply by their fighting styles. When Rouge thought about it more, the more he realized why Ozpin allowed him to stay.

That, and Pyrrha Nikos was on his team. With someone like that, someone with experience, Jaune would no doubt flourish into a warrior of his own right.

"Well, I guess that's a reason to let him stay," he mused before he pulled up another file. As he did so, he noticed a figure standing off to the side, leaning against the wall, though he payed them little attention. "So, what brought about this friendly visit, Raven? I doubt you came here just to say hi to your nephew."

Wordlessly, the aforementioned figure stepped out of the shadows and into the light of the room. "I see your still as cynical as ever," the woman remarked, wearing a shallow cut black dress, five necklaces with an assortment of beads, a red girdle-belt, and a pair of matching gauntlets. An object that looked to be made from feathers hanged from the right side of her skirt. At her hip was an unusually large sheathe, coupled with a blade locked deep at the hilt. Her mask was gone, however, revealing the face of a beautiful young woman with wavy black hair and crimson red eyes.

A face that was the spitting image of his half-sister, Yang Xiao Long.

"It's not being cynical necessarily," Rouge replied, still messing with his Scroll. "You usually prefer to hang around in the dark and watch from the sidelines rather than see what's happening up close."

Raven Branwen smiled wryly. "Let's just say I wanted to see how something of interest was doing," she said simply as she looked around the room. "This brings back memories...though I remember the room being a bit smaller than this."

"You still haven't told me what brought you here." Rouge stated. His aunt didn't do things without reason. This time was no exception.

"I simply came to see how you were doing, that's all," she answered simply. "That...and I've heard what's befallen the White Fang as of late." The dark-clad Huntress looked off to the side, staring out the window. The moon was half-full, revealing it's cracked form. "The whole world is left confused by the Black Fang's actions...a group that belongs to both humans and faunus alike." She then turned back to Rouge, looking at him curiously. "Are you satisfied with this? The whole world is looking for them."

The odd-eyed boy smirked as he closed his Scroll. "Hardly," he said as he looked at her. "This world is destined for further chaos."

"And you are just fine with contributing to that chaos?" She inquired.

"Of course." He replied simply. "After all, from chaos comes order. And I will see to it that the corruption of this world is eradicated by this chaos so a new order will come to fruition."

Raven couldn't help but smirk at his answer. "So you intend to make full on that promise of yours?"

"With every intention."

* * *

"...Ozpin, I still think this is a bad idea."

The Headmaster looked at Glynda up from his desk as he took a sip of his coffee. "You mean in regards to Rouge being placed by himself at the moment?"

"Yes." The female professor nodded. "While I admit that he does possess skill, it's too dangerous for him to be a solo unit. He is only fifteen for Oum's sake!"

"I am well aware of that, Glynda..."

"And don't get me started on Mr. Arc," she continued with fervor. "I looked at his transcripts. Ozpin, that boy HAS no training experience! That was his first real taste of combat!" She gave the man a heated glare, slamming her hands on his desk. "What in the world were you thinking?! He could have died out there! Both of them!"

"But they didn't." The headmaster refuted. "Both boys displayed exceptional skills out there. Mr. Arc took into account of his comrades fighting capabilities to devise the most effective way to deal with the immediate threat while Mr. Rose showed an impressive amount of skill and proficiency in defeating his own obstacle."

"That still doesn't change the facts!" What the boys did at the Initiation didn't mean anything. They still did not belong here. This was an Academy to teach graduates from Combat Schools who have the necessary experience to become full-fledged Huntsmen.

Rouge was less of a concern, and more of a worry. While his combat skills were on par with his sister, he was left as the only student to be independent. That was dangerous, as being without comrades meant that he would be in grave danger when he needed them most. Jaune Arc, however, was another story entirely. The boy had falsified his transcripts, and his performance, while adequate, was definitely not what the records said. It only took a bit of digging for her to realize that he had lied his way. She was angry at the boy for that very reason. He had no idea what he was going to get himself into! What was he thinking?! Did he think that this was all a game?! His life was on the line in that forest! Even if he proved himself, he was still not ready!

And yet Ozpin deemed them both worth staying. The decision, to this day, still confused her. "Why," she said with hostility as she glared at the man she respected. "Are you being so damned stubborn about this?"

"Two reasons," Ozpin answered her. "First, they have potential...young Arc most of all. While it may be true, he lacks experience, but given time, his skills will improve. As you saw for yourself, his combat abilities were quite pronounced, as was his leadership abilities. He is the sort of person who, shall we say, blooms on the battlefield. If he could hone that talent, especially being guided by those of us here at Beacon, with young Nikos to show him the way, he has the potential to live up to the Arc legacy."

"And the second?"

The man was silent for a moment, pausing to take a drink of his coffee. "...the second was because I received a letter of recommendation."

Glynda blinked. "That's it?" she gawked in disbelief. "You let them in because of-"

"You misunderstand, Glynda." he cut her off. "The letter of recommendation came a few days ago...specifically, the day before Ruby and Rouge fought Roman Torchwick. Furthermore...that letter was written specifically for Rouge."

The woman paused. A letter of recommendation for Rouge? Why only him? Her mind went through a list of names of potential candidates who could've written it. "...was it Qrow?"

"No..." The Headmaster shook his head. "...It was from Raven Branwen."

Silence fell upon the room.

Raven Branwen...the sister of Qrow Branwen and team mate to Summer Rose and Taiyang Xiao Long...and the mother of Yang Xiao Long...the woman who had disappeared shortly before Summer's death...SHE was the one who gave a letter of recommendation?!

"But...but...how...?" That was the only question from the many whirling through her mind that she managed to get out.

Ozpin slowly set his mug down, and adjusted his glasses. "Glynda," he spoke, his tone serious, as were his eyes, which were narrowed into a glare of his own. "What I am about to tell you does not leave this room...do you understand?" The blonde professor could only nod, offering no words. "Good...the reason why Raven gave me a letter of recommendation towards Rouge Rose is because..."

* * *

"...so, how are things over on your end, _**PIECE**_?"

"As well as can be expected...as far as casualties go, we didn't lose that many men. However, I sincerely doubt Cinder or Torchwick will be pleased by this. After all, the Black Fang has become increasingly meddlesome in their affairs. It's only a matter of time before one of them snaps. Personally speaking, I'm hoping it's Torchwick."

"Have patience, my friend. Everything's going according to plan...by the way, I met someone rather curious today. A girl with a black bow and amber eyes. You wouldn't happen to know her, would you?" The speaker on the scroll did not say anything. "By your silence...I'll take that as a yes."

"...How is she doing...? Is she doing well?"

"Seems like it...sadly, however, she's been placed on the same team as the heiress of the Schnee Company. I can only imagine how well that particular conversation blows over. Still...her skills during combat are certainly something. Her Semblance is making shadow copies of herself, isn't that right?"

"That's right...and by using Dust, she can apply elemental defense and offense to her attacks as well."

"Interesting..."

"Are you planning on recruiting her?"

"Would you object if I said yes?"

"I would not." The voice denied. "I know her better than anyone...and why she left the White Fang in the first place. Your ideals align with hers...I see no reason for her not to join up the Black Fang sooner or later. But promise me one thing."

"Yes?"

"Please keep her safe..."

"Heh...that's one promise I can keep...but first things first. There's something I need to confirm."

"And that is...?"

"Her resolve."

* * *

Elsewhere, a lone teen stood out on the docks of the harbor, his eyes trained on the shattered moon.

"Blake..." The figure spoke softly. He was a young man, around his late teens to early twenties. He had red hair spiked backwards in a windswept fashion, the upper half of his face concealed by a half Grimm mask. He was garbed in a pair of black pants, black shoes with red soles, and a red dress shirt. Over the shirt was a black trench coat with a red interior and slit sleeves. A large emblem was on the back of his coat, depicting a white tulip design covered by a red rose design. His fingers reached up and removed the ivory mask hiding his face. He looked at the moon once more, his eyes clear from the monstrous persona he once donned.

"I wonder...where could you be..."

He clenched the sheathed sword in his hand. He was getting really annoyed with Cinder and Roman getting on his case. If he could cut ties with them, he would. But it was just too risky right now. The only reason he kept ties with them was because of the resources they provided. But even then...Cinder had them in the palm of her hand...

He still recalled what happened that day several years ago. When she first came to them, she was just another human to him, seeking their cooperation for whatever reasons she had in mind. He refused, naturally. After all, why should he accept her proposal? She was just another human. Even if she offered a good deal of resources in exchange for their cooperation, she was one of the people behind their oppression. There was no way he would accept her.

When she came next, however...he found many of his men slaughtered.

Everywhere on the base lay the bodies of his brethren: bleeding...burned...dismembered...beaten...dead. Among the bodies stood Cinder Fall with a look of pure dominance on her face. Beside her were her two lackeys holding briefcases filled with Dust and Lien. But given the blood on their clothes...they had a hand in the slaughter fest as well...

It was then he realized...he never had a choice to begin with. She made it clear that she was in control. Even though he wanted to cut her down, it was suicide to do. He felt the power she held, the strength she possessed...thus, he had no choice but to accept her proposal.

Since then, the White Fang has served under her, as if they were faithful servants. It was aggravating. It was humiliating. To be reduced to nothing more than mere grunts for a human like her. It got even worse when she told him he had to work with Roman Torchwick of all people. A human who was a crime lord who held no sympathy for Faunus whatsoever. To him, they were all animals to be used for labor. Just like the Schnees. It pissed him off to no end...but there was one other problem he had to deal with. Something that had nagging at him ever since the day he stole the Schnee Company's train of Dust.

His old partner...Blake Belladonna.

It's been months since that mission. He could still remember her eyes as she left him. Eyes full of remorse and sorrow. Her actions spoke louder than words. She was done with the White Fang. She found his actions contemptible. He was willing to kill all the workers on the train just to retrieve the cargo and spite the Schnees. Even now...that single word she spoke to him continued to eat away at him.

 _Goodbye..._

After everything they've done...after everything they've been through...the time they shared...was it all for nothing? Did none of it mean anything to her at all?!

The more he thought about it, the more angry he became. Once more, he donned the Grimm Mask. He raised his head and looked to the skies once more, eyes of smoldering rage hidden by the twisted visor. Silently, he stared at the bleak emptiness before turning on his heel and walking away.

One way or another...he was going to settle this.

* * *

 _This was a bad situation. He vaguely remembered the saying, "a rock and a hard place," but this was just outright ridiculous. Not only were they dealing with a Death Stalker, who Nora and Ren stated that they would hold off, but they were also trying to deal with a Nevermore that was trying to turn them into it's own personal pincushion. Needless to say, this was NOT the sort of situation Rouge wanted to be in. The boy ran further into the ruins with the girls and Jaune. As they did, Pyrrha slid her feet before coming to a halt, bringing out her weapon. "Go, go!" she shouted at them as she went to help the two. She took to Ren's side, and her sword shifted into a double-barreled rifle. They opened fire on the beast as it chased after Nora, who was quickly fleeing to avoid it, but the rounds merely bounced off the shells. Once the excited girl ran past them, they quickly fell back as it swung it's pincers together in an attempt to grab them, only to swipe at air. Due to the narrowness of the bridge, it was impossible for to track after them._

 _Unfortunately for them, the Nevermore had not forgotten about them as it quickly flew by the large structures around the bridge. It's target was clear in sight. Rouge' eyes widened, and turned to his companions. "Brace yourselves!" The next second, the bird Grimm rammed it's body into the bridge, causing it to break apart into debris. The group was scattered, with Blake, Pyrrha, and Ren falling to where the Death Stalker was, and the rest on the other side, close to the cliff. Jaune groaned, feeling the impact of being flung away, rubbing his head and back before he turned his attention to the three fighting the scorpion. His eyes widened in concern as he watched Blake, who was the only one among the group without a long-range weapon, get flung back after being hit by one of it's pincers._

 _"Shit!" he exclaimed in fright. "We have to help them!" He frowned heavily at the gap. There was no way to jump the gap, so how were they supposed to get over there? He looked around his surroundings, trying to find some way to reach them. It was then that he noticed the fissures running along the destroyed portion of the bridge, which ran all the way behind him. An idea streaked across his mind, but it made him pale and gulp. 'This is crazy...' he thought. 'Totally, utterly crazy, but...' He turned to Nora, who looked concern for Ren's safety. "U-um... Nora, right?" The girl turned to him, nodding. "T-this is gonna sound crazy, but... can we make this thing into a launching pad?"_

 _The girl cocked her head to the side, but she quickly got the idea. "Aye aye, Captain~!" she sung as she brandished her weapon, which quickly turned into a large silver hammer. Jaune knew this was going to be a bad idea, but if it was going to help him save his friends, then it was worth doing... He just hoped it wouldn't get him killed. He quickly made his way to where the fissures end, while Nora stood at the opposing side. "You ready?!"_

 _"Honestly?" he deadpanned. "...no."_

 _Nora took this as a 'yes,' grinning like a demented madman, and jumped up. She reared back her hammer, and swung down, creating an explosive blast. The fissures broke apart, and the platform they stood on broke apart, becoming a makeshift launching pad for Jaune. Nora, meanwhile, hopped atop the large head of her axe, and fired off another explosive blast, sending her flying with him. The blonde hit the ground hard, groaning as he landed on his face while Nora fired off another blast as soon as she reached them, launching her into the air. "Nora SMASH!" she cried as she swung her hammer down on the Death Stalker. The force of the swing, with the explosive kickback, as enough to knock it into the ground. Hissing in anger, the scorpion tried to impale her with it's stinger, only for her to jump back. Sadly, she hadn't noticed Blake behind her._

 _The two collided, and Blake was sent flying off the bridge, spiraling towards the abyss below her. She quickly reoriented herself, and slipped her weapon into it's secondary form. She swung it while a black band wrapped around her wrist. Gambal Shroud struck the side of the bridge, allowing her to swing through the air. Her eyes caught sight of the Nevermore, and narrowed her eyes. She quickly pulled back her weapon, which came flying back to her thanks to the retraction system, and then began another swinging movement by throwing it at the tower close by. Her body swung through the air, and was now in the Nevermore's path._

 _Another swift tug brought the weapon back, and returned to it's original form. The Nevermore was now directly in front of her._

 _"...my turn."_

 _She changed her weapon, Gambol Shroud, into its firearm mode. She grabbed the Nevermore by the face as it flew straight at her and aimed the barrel of her gun right in its eye. She pulled the trigger. The creature squealed in pain before Blake quickly delivered several quick slashes. She then jumped up to it's back, and ran along it's spine, hacking away at it before jumping off, landing atop a portion of the ruined tower before joining Yang, Ruby, and Weiss. "It's tougher than it looks!" she mentioned, slightly winded._

 _Yang glared at the black bird before them as she rammed her fists together. "Then let's hit it with everything we've got!" she declared. At this, everyone brandished their weapons. Ruby's Crescent Rose unfurled into it's scythe form while Weiss twirled about, runes dancing underneath her as streaks of blue and red formed around her. Blake switched Gambal Shroud into it's firearm, and took aim._

 _Everyone then began to shoot at the Nevermore. However, it simply withstood all the blasts and let out a caw as it swung it's wings again, shooting out several feathers with the intent to skewer them. The group braced themselves, but Rouge was quick to intervene. His eyes narrowed as he shifted Wilted Requiem into it's scythe form. A bead of sweat fell from his face, but quickly retaliated._

 _Each feather that came his way was knocked back, a dancing flash of purple and black were all around him as he demonstrated great dexterity with his weapon. The weapon seemed to spin all round him, almost as if it were dancing, as he knocked back everything that came his way. Ruby, for her part, was looking at his weapon in amazement. She knew Rouge had plenty of practice with it, but to think he was that good...she made a mental note to ask him more about when he got so skilled, but quickly paled when she saw the Nevermore continuing it's assault._

 _"Oh, poop."_

 _It rammed it's body once again into the structure, causing it to break apart and fall. The girls, plus Rouge, used the rubble to jump up back to ground, with Yang, Rouge and Ruby using the recoil of their weapons to shoot them upward. Blake relied on their own agility and dexterity to reach the bridge again, while Weiss simply used her runes to jump along the air. Yang landed on the opposite side of Ruby and Weiss as she charged in once again. The heiress scowled heavily, glaring at the Nevermore as it flew above them. "None of this is working!" Ruby looked concerned before she noticed Blake landing on another platform, having used Gambal Shroud to swing over to it. The gears in her head began to whirl as she turned her attention to Yang, who was unloading shot after shot with her Ember Celica while Rouge, who quickly joined her, knocked back any further that got too close for comfort._

 _Her silver eyes widened, a picture forming in her head, and turned to Weiss. "I have a plan!"_

 _(With Team JNPR)_

 _"We gotta move!" Jaune called out as the platform beneath them began to gave way after the death Stalker rammed it's stinger into the ground, failing to hit Nora as she jumped back to avoid being stung. The force of the strike caused the platform to break apart and fall. The four were quick to run up the descending platform, running straight into the jaws of the Grimm in front of them. It swung it's pincer at them, intending to crush them, but Pyrrha intercepted, defending against it before parrying with her blade. The swing pincer tried to attack her blind spot, but Jaune moved in to defend her, using his shield to block it. Pyrrha used this opportunity to knock back the second pincer, leaving it open. Ren moved in, dashing to the side to avoid being hit by the stinger before latching unto it. He began to open fire on the beast, now directly above it while Nora unloaded her grenade launcher into the bast. The beast, now livid, tried to crush her with both pincers at once, but the two shield-bearers moved in to defend her at once. The brunt of the attack sent them both sliding back, with Jaune tumbling to the ground. The red-haired warrior, however, threw her weapon, now in the form of a javelin. It tried to defend itself, but the javelin went through the small gap between the pincers, and struck it in the eye._

 _It wailed in pain as it swung it's tail violently, throwing Ren off of it. "Ren!" Nora cried in concern as he was thrown against a pillar. Jaune was about to call over to him, but then noticed the now dangling stinger above the Death Stalker's head. 'It's loose?' he questioned before his eyes widened. 'Wait, that's it!'_

 _"Pyrrha!"_

 _The girl understood the plan immediately, grinning. "Done!" She swung her shield, which span right for the target. The sharpness of the edge was enough to cleanly cut through the remaining flesh binding the tail and stinger together, causing it to lodge in the armor._

 _"Nora!"_

 _Said girl smiled like a madman as she jumped atop Pyrrha's shield, which returned to her like a boomerang, her weapon already in hammer form. Pyrrha thrusted her upward at the same time Nora fired off her weapon, leaving her to fly through the air, smiling as she sat atop the shaft of her weapon before descending towards the Death Stalker. "BOOM BABY!" she cried as she slammed the hammer down on the stinger, forcing it to break through the air, and straight into the body of the beast. The force of the impact, both from altitude velocity and the amount of strength the explosive kickback, caused the ground beneath them to break apart. Jaune and Pyrrha quickly jumped out of harm's way, while Nora used another explosive kickback to throw her to her friends, leaving the Death Stalker to fall to the misty depths below them._

 _The ginger flipped in the air from the impact and landed on her feet. Pyrrha and Jaune knelt on the ground out of exhaustion from their fight. Meanwhile, a tired Ren slowly walked up to the group...only to fall face first on the ground._

 _"I hurt...all over..."_

 _Jaune agreed with him completely._

 _(With Team RWBY)_

 _ **BANG!**_

 _"I!"_

 _ **BANG**!_

 _"Hope!"_

 _ **BANG**!_

 _"You're!"_

 _ **BANG**!_

 _"Hung-"_

 _ **BANG!**_

 _"-ry!"_

 _ **BANG!**_

 _Yang screamed as she unloaded round after round of shotgun bullets into the Nevermore's open mouth. The gigantic Grimm flew and tumbled in the air, no doubt feeling the pain of bullets entering its esophagus. With her part done, Yang jumped away, landing on the ground while leaving the Nevermore to crash into the wall. Rouge took over, and switched Wilted Requiem to it's rifle form. He quickly loaded Gravity Dust rounds into the chamber, and opened fire, aiming straight for the tail. The added power behind the shot, as well as the kick, threw him far into the air, landing back in the bridge, while the shot hit home, striking at the Grimm's tail and forcing it back into the wall. The blonde brawler smirked as Weiss shot past her, leaping into the air with runes dancing along the shaft of her raper. With a thrust, ice formed and captured the beast by it's tail, ensuring no chances of escape from it. She then returned to her comrades, leaping back to them via bouncing off a rune. Blake released Gambal Shroud, launching it at Yang, who caught the blade and then embedded it into another pillar, thus creating a band. Ruby shot forward, propelling herself forward and catching the band with her scythe._

 _"Of course you would come up with this idea." Weiss scoffed as she pulled Ruby back with another rune, keeping her in place._

 _The girl smiled. "Think you can make the shot?"_

 _"Hmph," the heiress grunted. "Can I?"_

 _The silver-eyed girl cocked her head to the side, turning to Weiss. "Can-"_

 _"Of course I can!" she snapped angrily. Ruby nodded, and released the shell casing, leaving a new round to enter the chamber. As soon as Weiss dismissed the sigil, Ruby pulled the trigger, and her Semblance roared to life, causing her to shoot forward at top speed towards the pinned gigantic bird. She landed on the face of the cliff, her scythe catching the Nevermore by the throat. Weiss created glyphs beneath the girl's feet to maintain her traction. Ruby then broke out into a run immediately after landing. As she ran, more glyphs appeared. The Grimm cawed and struggled as it was yanked up by the neck. Ruby fired a shot every so often to give her a boost of speed to overcome gravity. Her speed semblance also helped as she did not lose any momentum. As soon as she made it past the edge of the cliff, she gave one final gunshot, causing the blade of her weapon to give an abrupt jerk, beheading the massive creature._

 _Red petals danced in the air as the now headless Grimm descended into the abyss to join the Death Stalker, slowly dissolving in the air, thus joining the scattering roses. From where he stood, Jaune was left gaping. "...whoa..."_

 _"Well." Yang grinned. "That was a thing."_

* * *

"...I still can't believe you actually did that," Rouge remarked as he and Teams RWBY and JNPR made their way to class. "If Dad ever saw that, he'd have a heart-attack...and I'm pretty sure uncle would tease you like no tomorrow."

"H-hey, it was a giant Nevermore! What was I supposed to do?!" Ruby pouted. "Besides, I didn't see you come up with any other options!"

"Well, I did come up with one..." Her twin said thoughtfully. "...but if I used 'that'...I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to contain collateral damage..."

This caused confusion among the group, all except for Ruby, who stared at him with large eyes. "Y-Y-Y-You were seriously considering using 'THAT'?!" She screeched in horror.

Rouge shrugged. "Well, not like I could," he answered her. "After all, I didn't put in the necessary mods for Wilted Requiem to handle it."

"ARE YOU INSANE...?!" She yelled at him. "You were planning on using 'THAT' without better equipping Wilted Requiem for it?! Were you trying to blow your own weapon up?!"

"Whoa, back up..." Yang frowned. "Mind telling me what's going on? Did you have a souped up part for your gun, little bro?"

"Yeah. But it's still in the prototype stages." Rouge responded. "I still don't have the required components necessary to make Wilted Requiem capable of withstanding it. As it is right now, it could only make one successful shot before blowing to pieces."

That certainly made them all the more anxious. "...can I ask something?" Jaune said as he raised his hand. "What, exactly...did you do to your weapon?"

"To put it simply?" Ruby sighed. "Rouge added a rail gun to it."

The entirety of the group stared silently at the heterochromatic teen. It was so quiet one could hear the drop of a pin in the hallway. Rouge looked back at each of them, noting their expressions that ranged from excitement, to surprise, to shock, and to horror. "...I'm sorry," Weiss said quietly. "I don't think I heard you correctly, but did you just say you had a RAIL GUN installed into your weapon?!"

"Yes. That is the case." He responded matter-of-factly.

"HAVE YOU GONE MAD?!" The Heiress screeched out. "WHY WOULD YOU TRY TO USE SOMETHING THAT DANGEROUS?!"

"Hey, you can never be too careful," the teen responded, uncaringly so. The others stared back at him in shock. A rail gun was no joke...the power behind it was unreal. The fact that he installed one into his scythe spoke volumes of how surprising it was. "Also...you do realize that we're now almost late for class, right?"

Once more the hallways were filled with silence. Snapping out of it first, Ruby yelled out:

"CHEESE IT!"

With that, everyone took off into a run, running as fast as possible to Professor Port's class.

* * *

 **First Act...END**

* * *

 _"To defeat evil, I shall become an even greater evil." -?_


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Notes:** ...okay, so I learned a while back...that there's going to be a Season 3 of Code Geass? After so long? And if I'm looking at the picture right...I see the Oz twins, Renya and Dash, and even Akito...Sunrise, this better not be a joke, because you are making me HYPE.

On another note, sorry about the late chapter. Me and Code...or rather, Daemon, have been on fire with a new story of ours. You might recognize it as "Metastability." I've got another crossover called "Why I'm Here," so if anyone is interested, give it a look. If you're looking for a good space opera, it just might be the fic for you.

Also...this chapter might be a bit shorter...mainly because next chapter, well...be prepared for a lead up to what might be the big bang of our version of Volume 1! We're even getting a glimpse at the fearsome leader of the Black Fang! Who is he?! What does he have planned for this world?!

Now, without further ado...back to the revolution, my friends! VIVA LA REBELLION!

* * *

 _"If the cuckoo does not sing, kill it." -Nobunaga Oda  
_

* * *

 **RWBY: Black Rebellion**

* * *

Several classes later, and Rouge could honestly say he was bored and disappointed out of his mind. The classes by themselves were of little use, except for the occasional moment of information he would jot down and store away for another time. They were more or less more complex versions of the ones from Signal, thus making them redundant in his opinion.

The teachers were of some interest. Glynda Goodwitch, one of the youngest to ever graduate from Beacon, had immediately chosen to become a teacher at the school she left, and was in charge of combat instruction. Her strict demeanor and strength made her more than worthy of the position, as she could easily subdue an unruly student and end a match if it went too far. Peter Port was, at first glance, a bumbling fool who regaled tales that were untrue...at least if you asked a student. In reality, the tales he told WERE true. The man was known as the Bloody Baron, a nickname he earned after slaughtering an entire pack of Beowolves with naught but an axe, and by the end of it, he was completely stained in black muck. Bartholomew Oobleck was the history teacher, and had an EXTREME love for coffee if how fast he talked and move was any indication. However, don't let that fool you. He studied extensively on the human mind, learned how it worked and ticked, and acted accordingly with swift and sound judgement. It was how he won many battles against the insurgents during the events of the Rebellion on the Isle of Thane back when even his parents were still students at the likes of Signal.

Currently, Rouge sat in one of Port's class. The man was regaling the class with one of his grandiose tales, and for the life of him, he could hardly stay away. He stifled a yawn, not wanting the unnecessary trouble of catching the man's attention, and tried to discreetly ignore him by slipping in an earphone to listen to music while he fiddled with his Scroll.

While Professor Port's stories had some merit, he tends to drone on and on about the minor details before heading into the vital points of them. Which is the main reason why so many in the class could barely stay awake. As he opened his mail, Rouge noticed that he received a new message from Eden. He decided to file it away to read later where no one can look over his shoulder to try and read it out of pure boredom and invade his personal space in this classroom. 'Probably about the other day,' he thought with a shrug. He gave another browse on his scroll, and came across an interesting article.

"BLACK FANG STRIKES AGAIN"

The headline caught his attention as he thumbed down the screen to read the news story. Just the other day, the Black Fang had found the location of a White Fang base along the edge of Vale and raided it. There were several White Fang members found lying in pools of their own blood while others were spirited away; most likely captured by the Black Fang.

A smirk crossed his face. It seemed as if things were going well. He took a look at the reactions of the incident. There was quite a controversy amongst the readers within the extremist humans, radical Faunus, and Faunus sympathizers. Some had voiced their support to the Black Fang. They referred to them as a mix of the old and new White Fang; welcoming both humans and Faunus to their side, yet also taking measures against those who would suppress them. They were true fighters that combated those who oppress the weak, be them human or Faunus. They deny the current White Fang's acts of terrorism for equality and endeavor to stop them from drawing innocents into the crossfire of their actions.

Others, the human extremists, viewed them as senile. They saw the Faunus as sub-human, and thus the Black Fang's goal was 'misguided,' some urging them to outright end their relations to the Faunus and begin a crusade against them. The more extreme of the already racist bunch called them traitors to their kind, and condemned them.

All in all, it was quite a colorful spectrum of perceptions of the vigilante group. But that is to be expected. However, he wasn't quite satisfied with the results. Not yet, anyway. He closed the article and was about to browse again when he heard a grating, familiar voice speak up loudly, "I do, sir!" He looked up, and found the Schnee Heiress, raising her hand with a look of restrained anger over her face.

"Very good then!" Professor Port nodded jovially as he gestured to the thrashing cage next to him.

Rouge quirked an eyebrow as he pulled out his earphone, and turned to a nearby student. "What's going on?"

"That Weiss girl volunteered to fight a Grimm." Came the quick response.

The odd-eyed boy blinked. He then looked back, and found the white-haired girl moving out of the class, most likely going to get geared up, but not before shooting his sister a cold glare, which had gone unnoticed by Ruby. A frown touched his face. What was with that look? Was she still sore about not being chosen as leader? Unbelievable...what a brat. Oh well, from the look of things he'd get a look at how the Schnee Family fought. While he was disgusted by Jacques Schnee's leadership, the man had certainly developed an incredible corporation. Although, what interested him more was those who came from it. To his understanding, there were three children in the Schnee Family: Whitley Schnee, the youngest and only son, Weiss Schnee, and the oldest child and Specialist of the Altesian Military, Winter Schnee.

He knew little about Whitley, but unlike his sisters, he had chosen to rather follow the business instead of becoming a Huntress. To his understanding, Winter Schnee was removed from her position as Heiress, and was instead passed down to her younger sister. This was done because she became apart of Atlas Academy and later on a Specialist in the Military. Her skills were impressive, so much so that she was named the Lieutenant to General Ironwood. He respected Winter for her course of action, about wanting to make her own path. She could've stayed and learned to manage the company, but she chose to be a Huntress instead. And it seems that Weiss is following her own path by coming here to Vale instead of the Atlas Academy as well.

Although...from the look of things...she still has a long way to go...

'Then again, pride is always something of disgust and yet of value,' Rouge recalled one of his teachings from Raven. 'And pride is what will make the poor brat break faster than anyone here. Yet is also because of pride that people are so determined.'

Either way, this would be a good opportunity. He heard that the Schnee Family had a hereditary Semblance, which was considered to be rare, in that each Semblance was unique, representing a person in its own form. For Ruby, it was rose petals, moving at fast speeds. For Yang, it was increased strength for each strike she received...or if she was really pissed when someone did something to her hair.

A few minutes later, Weiss Schnee returned, dressed in the white combat skirt from when they first met. Rouge then chose to direct his full attention to the fight and see this rare semblance in action. Everyone leaned in, interested in what was to come. Ruby, Blake and Yang cheered on for Weiss, while Rouge simply look on with interest. Port had severed the chain binding the cage, thus allowing whatever was inside to break. A large, pig-like creature broke through the metal, barred door in a squeal of rage. Its entire body was black with ivory armor encasing the majority of his head and back. It had two massive tusks that curved from its lower jaw, and four red eyes that glowed with rage. It was one of the medium sized Grimm species known for their tough hides and spinning attacks, a Boarbatusk.

"Go get 'Em Weiss!" Yang fist pumped.

"Fight well!" Blake held up a miniature flag that red RWBY.

"Yeah, represent...Teeeeeeeam RWBY!" Ruby cheered.

"Ruby! I am trying to focus!" Weiss narrowed her eyes at the team leader, eliciting a glare from Rouge.

Ruby shrinked back, reeling from the hurtful comment. "Sorry..." She squeaked an apology.

Huffing, Weiss resumed her attention to the Boarbatusk. The Grimm let out a snort, pounding its foot against the tile before it let out a whine, and then charged, thus beginning the battle. Just before the Grimm was about to ram into her, she spun around it while swinging her weapon. The blade of Myrtenaster clanged against the Boarbatusk's thick, plated hide, doing little damage. The Grimm ceased its charge as he turned and glared at the heiress.

"Haha, wasn't expecting that were you?" Professor Port asked in a jovial manner?

Weiss gritted her teeth. "Hang in there Weiss!" Ruby kept cheering for her partner. Weiss ignored her, and focused on the task at hand. The Boarbatusk charged again.

This time, Weiss tried a more direct approach. She thrusted forward, intending to skewer the Grimm between the eyes. To her surprise, however, the Boartusk turned its head at the last second, and catching the rapier in its tusks. She yelped, nearly thrown around while keeping a grip on her weapon. "A bold approach!" Port approved of the action, despite now literally playing tug-of-war with a Grimm for her own weapon. "I like it!"

"Come on, Weiss!" Ruby continued to cheer. "Show it who's boss!"

The snow-haired girl scowled, turning to make a remark, but she paid for looking away in the moment of battle. Her grip slackened for only a moment, and with a turn of its head, her weapon was thrown out of her hands, flying through the air before it clattered to the ground. Then it swung its tusks, smacking against her and throwing her to the ground. "Oho!" the teacher commented. "Now what will you do without your weapon?!"

'This is too painful,' Rouge thought, sighing as he plugged his earbuds in. 'She's far to arrogant. My sister tries to cheer her on, and what's her response? To yell at her. She obviously has had no training experience whatsoever...at least actual combat.'

That was the greatest flaw Rouge had seen. Had she actually fought Grimm, she would have handled the situation more aggressively, attacking at its weakpoints and immobilizing it. If she had been given any sort of training about Grimm, she would have known that the Boartusk was particularly weak at the stomach, where its belly was completely unprotected by the ivory bone armor that covered its body. She could have exposed it by using her Semblance for Dust's sake.

But no...no she didn't possess any of that. She's treating this fight as if it were a sanctioned match. Pathetic. Doing so against a Grimm will only get herself killed. At this rate...she doesn't deserve to be a Huntress.

'How in the world Ozpin accepted this brat is beyond me.'

Even if she won, this had lost his interest. Sighing, he returned his attention to his scroll. To his mild surprise, he had received another e-mail. This one, however, made him smirk.

The sender was PIECE.

Receiving a message from him was a good sign. But for now, he'd file it away for later like with Eden's message.

* * *

Cinder Fall was furious. Something Roman realized was becoming common the more the Black Fang started to amp up their operations. As such, the Black Fang was snuffing out quite a few of their numbers over the span of the last few months. Hideouts raided, supplies taken, and forces either killed or captured.

To be perfectly frank, Roman was vastly impressed.

Whatever the Black Fang had, be it resources or manpower, they trump the White Fang by a fair margin. That, and apparently, the guy running the show knew exactly what the hell they were doing. If there was one thing Roman hated about working for Cinder Fall, it was that she kept him in the dark. A need to know basis. And so far, she's told him jack shit. The leader of the Black Fang, on the other hand, kept their subordinates well informed and in the light of their plans. They actually had proper communication with one another, unlike the frustrating enigma Cinder's plans are.

Although, if there was one thing he really had to like about the Black Fang...it was their Blue Devil.

From what he's heard, it was some guy with some sort of flame manipulation semblance. The dude is a freaking monster! Grounds covered in scorch marks, lumps of charcoal all over the place, infernos blazing and ravaging the bases...guy was a real piece of work. Worst part about all of that?

Neo absolutely LOVED it.

His mute partner was absolutely gushing over the carnage the Blue Devil wrought whenever he attended a raid. If he didn't know any better, he'd say she was his number one fan or something.

Well, that's a thought to put aside for another time. Right now he had to endure his current boss' bitchiness.

"I thought," Cinder glared at Adam, eyes burning as flames cackled around her hands. "You said you had this handled."

"We did...we simply underestimated the enemy..." Adam replied coolly. "We didn't plan for them having that many troops during the attack."

"Or for that Blue Devil boy to show up," Roman quipped, earning a scowl from his employer. "What? Just sayin'."

"Yes. Him as well..." Adam nodded in reluctance.

The woman crossed her arms, clearly not impressed. "Had we known he was to appear, we would have been ready."

"And because of your own failure, I've lost several men," the Bull Faunus growled. "Don't forget, Fall, I agreed to work for you...but the Fang is NOT your own personal fodder."

"I am aware of that..." Cinder stated off-handedly. "I just expect you and your men to do your job properly."

Roman could see that Adam was pissed. Oh, so pissed! He half expected the animal to draw his sword just to cut her down...but he knew he couldn't. Roman knew it himself too. If there was one thing he learned while working for this femme fatale...it was this.

Do not fuck with Cinder Fall. Period.

As the woman walked away, Adam let out a low growl of frustration and stomped away. Roman shook his head and lit a cigar, slinking back into his makeshift seat atop a crate of Dust. "What a week this has been..." He murmured to himself while taking a drag from his cigar. Well, at least it kept his life exciting. While he wouldn't openly admit it, lest he face the wrath of Confer, he enjoyed seeing her lose her composure.

Still...he wondered what the boss of the Black Fang was like. Whoever he was, he was able to garner support from both humans and Faunus alike, meaning he was very charismatic.

Just who was this person to lead such a group?

* * *

"...Ozpin made a mistake." Weiss stated bluntly at her crimson hooded team leader. Rouge had left the classroom, following the trickle of students before he found Weiss walking away, face set into disgust and disapproval, while his sister stood there, face crestfallen.

The dichromatic-eyed teen's hands balled into fists as his jaw was clenched tight. That Ice Queen went too far. He wanted to chase after the woman, and give her a piece of his mind, but she had disappeared with the flow of the crowd. It wouldn't matter, though. When he found Weiss, he wasn't about to let her get away with that. For the time being, though, he needed to check on his sister. With that in mind, he walked over to her.

"You okay, Ruby?"

His sister didn't respond at first. But when she slowly turned around, her expression was one of distraught. "...not really," she answered pitifully before kicking at the ground. "I don't understand...all I did was cheer her on. Why was she yelling at me? Why'd she say that? I thought we got past that after Initiation..." She gave a sad sigh. "What if she's right? What if...Ozpin did make a mistake?"

Her twin shook his head. "Don't listen to her," he told Ruby. "She's just an arrogant git who got everything daddy dearest ever gave her. She was probably mad she wasn't made Leader instead."

"But-"

Rouge cut her off. "No buts, Ruby. Besides, I believe Ozpin knows what he's doing when he made you leader."

Ruby still didn't seem convinced. "B-but...what if she's right?"

"That remains to be seen, Ruby." The girl turned, and found Ozpin standing there, mug and cane in hand. "Although, I have to admit, that particular conversation with your teammate didn't seem to go over well. That being said," he smiled slightly. "You forget. This is only the first day. Rather hasty to be making judgement calls, wouldn't you say?"

"Yeah but..."

"Ruby...I made more mistakes than any man, woman, or child on this planet. But at this moment, I would not consider your appointment to be leader to be one of them." Ruby's eyes widened, clearly having not expecting to hear such an answer. Rouge, however, smiled gratefully. "Now may I ask...do you feel as if it were a mistake?" He questioned light-heartedly.

Ruby sighed. "Well...its just, I'm inexperienced, you know?" she said tiredly. Clearly Weiss' words had taken a lot out of her, feeling mentally exhausted just by that one comment alone. "I graduated two years ahead of everyone, a-and I can be a kid at times...what if I'm not cut out for this? Like she said...I don't take things seriously."

"As do most who first start out," Ozpin told her. "Being a leader isn't something you can just grow into overnight. That is why I placed everyone in a team of four; so that they will have others to support them, and help them grow into the role." A chuckle fell from his lips. "Someone close to me, years ago, once told me this: Two in harmony can surpass one in perfection." He leaned forward, giving the girl a playful tap on the nose. "Now, tell me. If two in harmony can surpass one in perfection...what can four in harmony achieve?"

"Something...even better than the Two Harmony?" Ruby tilted her head.

Rouge rolled his eyes. "He means with your team, you can do something even greater than what two people in sync and perfect understanding of one another could hope to achieve, idiot."

"Oh..." Ruby spoke in realization before processing what Rouge said in the end. "Hey!"

Her twin offered her a smirk, while Ozpin shook his head in amusement. "Well, I should be getting back," he said. "Last thing I need is Glynda on my case about skipping paperwork."

"E-eh?!" Ruby gasped. "You skip out on paperwork?! That's the sort of thing my Uncle Qrow would do!"

"Ruby...even I am well aware of the bane of one's existence that is paper work." The Headmaster of Beacon spoke with a wry grin.

Rouge gave the man a look, but then he shrugged his shoulders. He wouldn't know anything about paperwork, other than what Qrow informed him of when he came home after work. It seemed Qrow had learned such woes from his teacher, apparently. But now he couldn't help but feel worried if he ever took up a path that required such a thing.

'Not that it would ever happen,' he thought with a sly smile. 'After all...I've still got a long way to go before that can happen.'

* * *

Eden Flaemis. To the Black Fang, he was the defacto leader, the one who led them whenever their commander was not present, which was more often than not these days. None blamed him, given what he informed them about his plans. As the second in command, Eden led the forces while following the plans PIECE and the leader left for them to follow. He was quite proud of his name, on another note. From what little he understood, 'eden' was the word for paradise. The first home for humanity until two humans, the first creations of the Gods of Light and Darkness, had changed things and found themselves cast out. Flaemis, however, the name of the family he was born to, referred to the fiery power of the inferno, ever blazing forward. He found it quite fitting, actually, as his leader once described him as the flame that would blaze forth for them a new path.

To their enemies, however, he was called by a more colorful nickname.

"The Blue Devil."

It was a moniker he obtained from his ability on the battlefield due to his mercilessness on the battlefield. Whatever stood in his path, be it an enemy or an obstacle, he'd either cut it down or burn them with his semblance. The White Fang, and any poor unfortunate bastard who stood in the way, knew that when they stood before him, they were pretty much fucked.

That included the poor, poor saps they captured.

"Oh, for fuck's sake, will somebody shut that damned hyena bitch up?!" one of the human members cried. "She's driving me nuts!"

"Hey, you drew the short stick!" the racoon faunus from before shouted, sitting atop the railing with two other human members. "We don't wanna hear it! Also, we told ya you should have brought ear plugs!"

The guard scowled. "You could have told me that before I found out she was a fucking Hyena!" He gestured to the bound White Fang female with hyena ears. She was currently laughing in an obnoxious manner.

While some members of the BF had covered their ears with earplugs, the guard was not as lucky...or were the other members of the White Fang. Because their arms were bound, and because they were close to her, they were forced to listen to it at full force, cringing and shaking their heads to try and drown out the sounds. Some had even tried to bash themselves in the head against the wall in order to make themselves unconscious, so as to not hear her scream anymore. However, the worst part was that the Hyena Faunus was laughing because she was terrified. A poor habit of hers, laughing when scared. She wasn't sure why she did this, but as it stood, it was a reflex. A defense mechanism of sorts.

Eden thought it made for a damned good torture method. He seemed to figure out the cause behind her laughter, however, as he noticed the facial expressions she was giving when given a slight reprieve of her constant laughs and howls. "Hold on a sec, newbie." The guard looked at him in confusion as he approached, but then realized his intentions, and quickly stepped back. As he approached, the prisoners became tensed, the more weak-willed ones looking downright terrified.

He stopped right in front of the hyena Faunus with a blank expression on his face. The female's laughs grew more high pitched and erratic. He slowly bent over so that his face was a few inches away from hers. His eyes bored deep into hers. Pools of blue stared back at clear green ones. For the longest moment, there was a cold tense silence, with only the obnoxious laughter as the sole sound. Then he smiled. "You know...if you laugh, you're gonna bust a gut," he told her. "Also, if you keep laughing, you might end up losing your voice. A real shame, too...considering it's a lovely one."

"What?" The two prisoners on either side of the laughing woman, who ceased in her cackles, questioned.

Nearby, a Dog Faunus groaned. "Oh god...here we go again."

This is a pretty common occurrence in the Black Fang. Their second in command, the Blue Devil...is a flirt. He pretty much tries to hit on any woman he meets.

"Seriously?" the wolf faunus from before questioned. "He hits on chicks? Even the prisoners?"

"That's just how the vice-commander is," the racoon replied. "Though as to what kind of women he prefers is anyone's guess."

"So why didn't he hit on me?"

"Don't know." The Racoon shrugged. "We asked him the same question, and he answered that he had standards...whatever the hell that meant."

Meanwhile, the Hyena faunus, while having ceased her laughter fit, now suffered a new dilemma. Her face turned cherry pink, and her heat began to beat faster. She could have sworn she felt it skip a beat when he gently placed his fingers at her chin. "Now...I would love to hear your voice for what it is rather than your laughs of anxiety." Eden smiled.

The Hyena Faunus' breath hitched. "A-ah...hah...u-um..." Now she was nervous...for a completely different reason.

"We want you to feel comfortable here, after all," he said in a suave tone. "So don't feel so scared. In case you haven't noticed, it ain't all humans here."

"Shut it, you devil!" one of the WF prisoners spat, snarling and struggling. "Why should we trust anything you say?!"

He was answered with a katana pointed at his neck, the tip just a centimeter away from carving out his throat. Eden held the blade with a steady hand while keeping his eyes on the female. "Because, my friend, you have two options. Either A, stay here forever as we hope you answer our questions...or B...get cut down like the rest of your unit."

The prisoners growled, not fearing the end result in the least. Eden actually respected that in a way...though he wished these guys would learn when to stop. After all, even if they did somehow manage to escape from their confines, they still had to deal with every person in this warehouse, and each was armed, sword, gun, and otherwise, along with a few individuals with Semblances.

"...I'd appreciate it," a voice called out. "If you kept your blade to yourself, Flaemis."

Suddenly, the prisoners became alarmed, eyes wide as saucers, and whirled around. Entering the warehouse was a familiar face to Eden, and he smirked. "Yo," he greeted. "Didn't expect to see you here. Mind coming back later, though? I'm trying to get to know one of your gals here better while keeping her friend quiet."

"Hence why I told you to stand down. I'm sure he would tell you the same thing," the visitor responded. They then turned to the prisoners, and gave a curt nod. "Seems like you're all doing well...I hope Flaemis hasn't treated you too roughly."

One of the prisoners, a cat Faunus, stared at them in disbelief and shock, as if unable to comprehend who was standing before her. "Y-you," she choked. "B-but why?! Why are you with them?!"

"Why do you think?" Eden chuckled as he sheathed his sword, stepping away from the Hyena Faunus girl. "Because PIECE here...has been one of us for a LOOONG time. Think it was before that Belladonna chick left, though."

PIECE shook his head. "It was after. Get that right," he snapped. "Also...what has he told you about threatening your prisoners?"

"Hey, he was yelling at me. What was I supposed to-"

"YOU TRAITOR!" The prisoner from before, a lizard Faunus with dark red scales along his cheeks, snarled, trying fruitlessly to launch himself at PIECE, only for his bindings to keep him in place. "HOW COULD YOU?! SIENNA KHAN TRUSTED YOU!"

The informant scoffed. "For a time, I believed in Sienna," he said, folding his arms. "Then I met him...and then I remembered that it isn't humans who are responsible for making the world the way it is. Also, I am no traitor. I've simply chosen another path to follow...as have many of our brothers and sisters who believe in my decision with the White Fang."

That last bit alarmed each of the White Fang prisoners. Even more of their comrades in arms have betrayed them as well?

"T-that's a lie..." the cat faunus whispered. "P-please...that's a lie...right, sir?"

"I'm afraid not." PIECE shook his head.

The lizard Fanus snarled, saliva flinging from his mouth. "How dare you?! Y-you would side with these fools?! These traitors?! They took the sides of humans! The ones who oppose and bind us in shackles!"

"You are wrong." PIECE shook his head. "The people I am aligned with are nothing like those bastards. Here in the Black Fang, we are brothers in arms, everyone of us on equal standing."

Eden chuckled. "Never thought I'd hear that coming out of your mouth," he remarked before turning to the prisoners. "But he is right. In fact, the White Fang is right. It is humans who treat Faunus like shit. I know that better than anyone. But...you know something else?" The prisoners stared at him, and he smirked. "...it ain't just humans, dipshits."

"The hell are you talking about?! Of course it's humans!"

"Bzzzt! Wrong!" The Blue Devil buzzed.

"W-what?! Then who?!" the cat faunus cried. "If it isn't humans, then who is it?!"

"It's both humans and Faunus, you dipshit." Eden stated bluntly. "Your leader, Sierra Khan? He's only using you guys to commit mass genocide of humanity and satisfy his psychotic desire for carnage and bloodshed."

"And as for humans, it isn't just the Schnee Dust Corporation and the majority," PIECE added. "There are also others who would abuse their power. People who would condemn even their own kind to achieve their goals. In other words-"

A new voice interjected. One that everyone in the Black Fang knew by heart. A voice that commanded both respect and fear from all alike.

"-the world is corrupt, and no one, be them human or Faunus, is as just as one may claim."

Every member of the Black Fang and the prisoners turned their heads toward the figure standing in the middle of the entrance of the HQ, his form shadowed by the light behind him. The Blue Devil grinned as he clapped. "Couldn't have said it better myself! Ladies and Gents, our fearless leader has returned to us!"

Instantly, all members of the Black Fang snapped into a salute. "Welcome back, sir!" The Black Fang troops greeted.

"At ease..." The commander said as he walked into the room, allowing his form to be better seen. The prisoners shivered, reeling back a bit. When his form was shadowed, he was fearsome enough...but now before them, laid bare, he was twice as terrifying. "...so," the leader of the Black Fang said, turning to face the three White Fang prisoners. "You believe that the likes of Sienna Khan is just?"

"Y-Yes! Yes he is!" The Lizard Faunus barked angrily.

"Hmph...not unexpected," the commander scoffed. "Let me ask you this, then...if Sienna Khan is just, and he achieves his goal, with humans now in the shoes of Faunus, now the subject of prejudice and ridicule...what then? What comes afterward?"

The cat faunus blinked, confused. "W-what...do you mean?"

"You short-sighted fools...what you are doing is merely maintaining a cycle of hatred. The humans that you waged a revolution against will then be in your shoes, and in time, they will rise up for a revolution of their own. And the cycle continues."

Eden smirked. "And it keeps on repeating, over and over, until before you know it...there's nothing but mountains of corpses, humans and Faunus alike. Dunno about you, but I don't really call that a future."

"That would not be a future." PIECE added. "It would be mass genocide on both ends. All life on Remnant would be killed off due to conflict out of spite. Any survivors would then inevitably be wiped out by the Grimm."

"B-but..." the Hyena faunus said, speaking up for the first time. "I-if that's the case...what do you suggest then?"

The commander humphed. "Simple...stand against it. Stand against this foolish oppression and spite and rise above it! Root out the corruption in this world and erase it!"

The prisoners gawked at his words. While those around them showed full agreement, some even whooping in enthusiasm, they could only stare at him as if he were a madman. "Are you kidding me?!" the lizard Faunus shouted. "You think you can do that?! You're all insane! Brothers, sisters, why do you listen to this madman?! Work with these filthy humans?! Can't you see you're all being deceived?!"

"Ooh, sorry man," Eden chuckled, a dark look in his eye as he crouched down, staring at him at eye level. "But, ah, see, thing is...each and every one of us has sworn ourselves to our leader. Also, we aren't working together...its more like, we are using one another for personal gain. All of us want something by joining this band of misfits, so we exploit our abilities and talents to get ahead of the competition. The boss uses me for my abilities, and I use him to get what I want. Just like how the boss is using PIECE over here," he nudged his head to the informant. "Because they both want something out of their deal. In other words, my friend..."

He smirked, and his eyes flared like an inferno. An azure flame dancing within those cold irises.

"...the Black Fang is not an organization, but one giant band of scum. People who've wasted away in filth, and given the chance to get out of it. We aren't like you idiots, who preach what its like to be treated like animals. Reality check, dumbass! Each and every last member of the Black Fang is worse than you! We are the embodiment of trash, thrown away like garbage and left to rot!"

"Enough, Eden," the leader commanded. "No need to antagonize them further...I believe they've gotten the message."

"Aww..." The bluenette whined as his demeanor shifted from intense to disappointed. "But I was just getting to the good part..."

The leader shook his head, and then turned to the prisoners, walking up to them. "What Eden spoke of is true," he told them, stopping just a few feet away from them. "That each of us had hit rock bottom. Beaten, broken, and left for dead, in both the figurative and literal sense. While we are a group, we are still individuals. We each have our own goals, all of which coincide with my own...bringing an end to this disgusting order."

"A-and...why tell us this?" the Hyena Faunus asked, staring at him with wonder. "W-what's the reason?"

"Simple...an offer." The meaning instantly came to them, and their eyes widened. "If you so wish, you can use us as well to bring an end to the order Remnant clings to like a relic. However, I can't make the decision for you. The only one who has the right to decide their own destiny...is their own self. So I ask you this. Will you continue to be chained to this disgusting world? To be mere slaves of society? Or will you obtain emancipation and overthrow the corrupt that oppress you to this day?!"

The prisoners fell silent.

His words struck a chord within each one of them. Would they rather choose to obey a corrupted system, or take their fate by the reigns and break the chains that bound them? The lizard Faunus looked as if he wanted to argue, but his female companions were dead silent, eyes showing that they were seriously pondering on his words. Would they really have their chance? To shatter this distorted world?

The silence continued to fall upon the warehouse, and the leader of the Black Fang, patiently awaiting his answer.

Then the silence ceased.

* * *

 _[A White Fang outpost was attacked. We've captured a few, but whether or not they'll defect is unknown. On another note, Cinder Fall's planning on another heist. Roman's in charge again. Don't know when, but soon. Probably another Schnee Dust crate.]_

 _{-PIECE}_

 _[New word about the White Fang. Roman's paid off some guards, which means a new Dust shipment. Also, thanks to our glorious and badass leader, we now have two new recruits. One was still a bit...you know, dickish. We put him in a cell, but I dunno. He might crack. If he does, might be fun to see~ Anyway, hope to see you again, Rouge! Still miss ya, old buddy~]_

 _{-EDEN FLAEMIS}_

Rouge's eyes scanned over the words of each respective message that was sent to him, a grin of satisfaction present on his face. The senders of each message brought great news. "Looks like things have been progressing nicely," Raven remarked, flipping through one of his notebooks. The binding was dark in color, and the writing was encrypted, though Raven had managed to decipher it with ease. It was, after all, one of her own designs. "Though I wonder if this is really what you have in mind."

"It is." The black-haired youth answered after looking up from his scroll. "The plans have been set in motion. It's only a matter of time before the sparks grow into raging flames."

He set the thing off and slipped it into his pocket, and then opened the laptop. "There's always an order to these things...and even if Remnant believes the system is necessary, I'm inclined to think otherwise. A system is no better than glass; easy to stain, and easy to break."

"And as it is now, it is stained with pitch-black corruption and fractured. There is no hope of salvation for it. The only thing left for its fate is its collapse. And after that, anarchy."

Raven snapped the book shut. "And what comes after that?"

"The same history does with every act of anarchy," he answered. On the screen of his laptop were pictures of various cargo, all branded with the Schnee Dust company...as well as photographs of Black Fang attacks. "With each act of disobedience comes conflict. And from conflict comes tyranny. And from tyranny..."

He grinned, looking back at her. For a moment, like before, an avian sigil, glittering red, formed in his eye.

"...comes rebellion."

* * *

 **Premonition...END**

* * *

 _"The best way to remove your lies is to make them come true." -?_


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Notes:** I would give you a good excuse for my lateness, but I'll just say screw it, have Lelouch Geass you and order to read the first half of what will be the conclusion of RWBY: Black Rebellion Volume 1. Also, I've been planning for what would be the events of Volume 4, so there's that...huh. I do have an excuse, if a flimsy one.

Before we start, you'll notice right away that the chapter begins on the episode "The Stray," rather than "Jaundice." This is deliberate, as sometime in the near future, I'll be writing another story which focuses on Rouge's relationships with various students at Beacon. Basically, a story dedicated to mini-arcs between characters. Keep an eye out for that, yeah?

On another note...god, I can't believe I'm actually writing this!

Deadpool: Oh, what are you whining about?

THE F-! HOW THE HELL DID YOU GET HERE?!

Deadpool: Oh, you know~ The ever occasional front door into virtual reality~

...note to self, wash head of Deadpool Death Battle vids.

Deadpool: Yeah, whatever. SO! What's this I hear about Lulu heading to Blood Gulch?

...you know what? I'm just gonna start the fucking chapter. Oh, but before that...

*cocks gun*

Deadpool: Oh please, like that's gonna kill me-

Titanium composite hollow point bullets with a C4 kicker, converted into shotgun shells, courtesy of one Red Hood AKA Jason Tood. And yes, I'm fully away it ain't gonna kill you. But...I imagine it must hurt like a bitch.

Deadpool: Ooooh~ Haven't been shot by that before! FIRE AW-

* * *

 _"It is an undeniable and may I say fundamental quality of man that when faced with extinction...every alternative is preferable." -Dr. Leonard Church, Red vs Blue  
_

* * *

 **RWBY: Black Rebellion**

* * *

Cinder Fall had never felt so irritated in all of her life. This group calling themselves the Black Fang as been nothing but an absolutely annoying thorn in her side! With each passing day, they are dwindling the numbers of the White Fang, her forces.

When she approached Adam Taurus, she was assured that they had the motivation to fight under her, willingly or not. After all, the idea of taking over Vale, and soon other kingdoms, was quite tempting...yet somehow, these soldiers, willing to kill, were being defeated by a group she knew nothing about. She used every available resource and network at her disposal to learn whatever she could about the Black Fang, and so far, she learned so little. All Cinder could gleam from what little info she gathered was that it was made up of both Faunus and Humans, and like the White Fang, they were willing to kill to succeed in their goals. However, the White Fang wasn't their only enemy...it was every shady group in Remnant. Drug dealers, underground crime rings, syndicates, slave traders...everyone that was even associated with something horrible was a valid target. Corrupt companies were no exception.

Not even the Schnee Dust Company was spared from their assaults. They lost many shipments of Dust as well as many Faunus employees due to their actions.

That was one matter that earned a bit of intrigue on her part. Why would a group who's goal was seemingly to route out the corruption and filth in Vale's underground targeting the Schnee Dust Corporation? She was hardly a fool. She did her own research and while Jacques Schnee's business was...questionable, there was nothing shady about it. Was there something she was missing? Or was the Black Fang like the White Fang and targeted them out of anger for Faunus suppression? Unlikely. Guard casualties were nowhere and many Faunus workers were unaccounted for.

Either way, that group was a headache and a thorn in her side. Even worse...she knew absolutely NOTHING about their leader.

The only information she has on the group were their targets, and only a few prominent members. But their Leader was shrouded in mystery. His name was never officially stated in any record, and unofficially, he was always called the Leader. Other than that - nothing. It frustrated her to no end! As a manipulator, Cinder absolutely HATED unknowns. If only she knew at least something...SOMETHING...about this illusive group, then she would at least have an idea as to how to deal with them.

"What's the matter, deary?" a mocking voice called out. Her annoyance went further when she saw a certain bowler hat-wearing criminal approaching with a smug grin. "Got your panties in a twist?"

"Do not test me, Roman," Cinder warned calmly. Last thing she needed was to give this man a reason to gloat. Roman had his uses, hence why he was still alive, so she couldn't kill him...yet. "And what are you doing here? Shouldn't you and the Fang be ready to capture the latest shipment?"

"We're already on it. Unlike Adam...I tend to prepare myself for upcoming heists with multiple contingency plans..."

The red-clad woman narrowed her eyes. For a moment, amber began to burn like flames. "Good," she remarked icily. "But...do not to try and disappoint me, Roman."

"Believe me...I'll try NOT to..." The mobster shrugged as he turned away from her. "I happen to enjoy living, thank you very much..."

With that, he left. Cinder gave a huff, and returned her gaze to the shattered moon of Remnant. She swore at that moment that she will learn who lead the Black Fang...no matter what the cost. And when she does...she would END them.

* * *

"...sis," Rouge glared at his twin with the most vile, loathing stare he could possibly muster from his many many years of brooding. "Why, in the name of all things holy, would you pull me away from my reading...just so we could look at party decorations?!"

"They're not party decorations!" Weiss answered instead of Ruby with a scolding tone. "These are preparations for the Vytal Festival!"

"...The Vytal Festival is a celebration of all four Kingdoms ushering in an era of peace after the Great War...hence, party decorations..." Rouge deadpanned.

"Gonna have to agree with my darling little bro here on this one," Yang quipped. "Looks like party decorations to me."

"How can you two be so casual about this?" Weiss huffed in frustration. "Think of all the planning it took to organize these events every two years!"

"Only you would find joy in planning stuff..." Blake muttered, earning a mock glare from the heiress. Rouge couldn't help but agree.

Team RWBY, plus Rouge, were traversing the streets of Vale, which, true to their comments, was decorated in a variety of attractions. It was hardly surprising, given the occasion for this point in time. The Vytal Festival only happens once very two years, after all. To Rouge, he found it relatively pointless. It was more or less one giant parade and anniversary meant to celebrate what he considered to be a useless endeavor. Peace was like an empire - it crumbles and fades away over time. He was willing to bet that the peace wouldn't last very long, given that several different factions were moving at once. Roman Torchwick, the White Fang, the Black Fang, the woman working with Torchwick...in the shadows, everything was moving under the guise of that so-called peace.

...that, and Rouge would have rather spent more time in his room reading while looking up information on Jaune Arc. During the whole fiasco with Cardin and the blonde knight's transcripts, he had earned a slight margin of interest. He had potential, something which Pyrrha Nikos noticed and was quick to hone. If he were to make a comparison, Jaune was like a diamond in the rough. With a bit of refining, he could easily become something fierce. Right now, he was still a bit inexperienced. Given time...he could be something worth while. Rouge was also curious about the Arc family as well. He vaguely recalled that his grandfather had apparently used that sword and shield in the Great War, meaning he must have had some form of significance.

Speaking of Team JNPR, he really needed to thank Ren for that book he lent him. The history on Mistral could be useful, though he still needed to ask the magenta-eyed gunslinger why there were syrup stains on a few of the pages. That said, he probably already knew the answer. And it involved a hyper-active girl with a grenade launcher/hammer.

'I swear, she has the same stomach as Ruby when it comes to cookies,' Rouge thought in amazement. 'One giant bottomless pit.'

"Ah, the Vytal Festival!" Weiss grinned widely, a sight which put off Ruby quite a bit. "Oh, this is absolutely wonderful!"

"I don't think I've ever seen you smile this much, Weiss," Ruby noted with a frown. "It's kinda weirding me out."

"How could you not smile? A festival dedicated to the cultures of the world! There will be dances! Parades! A tournament! Oh, the amount of planning and organization that goes into this event is simply breathtaking!"

Yang stared at the heiress before she sighed, hanging her head low and giving it a disappointing shake. "You really know how to make a good thing sound boring."

"It IS boring," Rouge quipped. "Really, all the Vytal Festival is is parties, followed by a fighting tournament, and more parties. Really, its about as exciting as Dad's wedding anniversary parties."

As much as it would've rubbed salt on an old wound to Taiyang, Rouge was right. There wasn't really much TO celebrate given his father's past love lives. Both of them were pretty solemn endeavors...given how Raven left after Yang was born, and Summer dying years ago...

That, and Taiyang was a HORRIBLE cook.

"Quiet, you!" Weiss snapped at the two.

The siblings shrugged, and resumed walking through the city. They passed by the pier, where foghorns blew. Quite a few ships, some of them foreign, entered in, dropping off cargo and passengers. "Remind me again," Yang asked. "Why are we spending our Friday afternoon visiting the docks?"

"Ugh," Ruby pinched her nose, waving her hand in disgust. "It smells like fish!"

"We ARE by the ocean after all..."

"I've heard that students visiting from Vacuo will be arriving by ship today." Weiss answered, ignoring the previous two remarks. And as a representative of Beacon I feel as though it is my solemn duty to welcome them to this fine kingdom."

Not believing this little explanation of hers, Rouge turned to Blake to ascertain Weiss' true motives. "She wants to spy on them so she'll have the upper hand in the tournament." The raven haired girl explained. Rouge nodded and accepted the answer, knowing that it would be something a Schnee would do.

"Ah! You can't prove that!" The heiress said in indignation.

Ruby shook her head in amusement. She actually found Weiss' more embarrassed sides to be cute. When they passed a street corner, she immediately noticed something that caught her eye. "Whoa," she muttered, stopping. This caught the attention of her team, who paused and looked at what she saw. At the end of the street was a trashed store; the window was completely destroyed, the shelves were demolished, the door was ripped off the hinges and left in several pieces, and the area around the front of the store was barred off by yellow "CAUTION!" tape. Curious, Team RWBY plus Rouge went over. A detective was behind the tape, jotting something down on his notepad when he noticed the girls and boy approaching. "What happened here?"

"Robbery," he answered. "Second Dust shop hit this week." The detective sighed, putting away his notepad and scratching his neck. "Damn place is turning into a jungle."

Rouge's eyes narrowed, curious as he watched the detective walk away while another, presumably his partner, exited the damaged shop. "They left all the money again," he reported. "All lien is inside the safe in back, and in the cashier. They just took all Dust."

"Yeah," the first detective nodded, equally as confused while Rouge listened in. "Doesn't make a lick of sense. Why do you need this much Dust?"

"What, like an army?"

"You thinking White Fang?"

"I'm thinking we don't get paid enough for this crap."

At the mention of the White Fang, Weiss' face darkened as she scowled. "The White Fang," she spat the name out venomously, as if the word itself was just enough to taste bitter in her mouth. "What an awful bunch of degenerates!"

"What's YOUR problem?" Blake asked as her eyes narrowed.

"MY problem? I simply don't care for the criminally insane." She huffed.

"The White Fang is hardly a bunch of psychopaths," Blake argued as she crossed her arms. "They're a collection of misguided Faunus."

"Misguided? They want to wipe humanity off the face of the planet!"

"And who's fault do you think THAT is?" Rouge's voice cut through her words like a knife.

Ruby and Yang looked at their brother, surprised by his words while Blake looked at him, startled. Meanwhile, Weiss glared at him angrily. "And what is that supposed to mean, Rose?" she growled. "Go on, enlighten me."

"I'm just stating a fact," he shrugged. "Then again, I doubt a Schnee would understand that, given how biased you are."

"Excuse me?" She snapped at him.

"You heard me." Rouge bit back. "You lived all your life in a household that uses Faunus as slaves to work in your company's mines. I bet you saw them as nothing more than that growing up."

Weiss' eyes went wide, livid. "Why you-!"

"HEY! STOP THAT FAUNUS!"

The two ceased their argument as the group of five turned to the docks where the voice came from. In their field of vision, they saw a young male clad in a pair of jeans, a pair of fingerless red and black gauntlets, and an open white shirt race down the docks. He had a tanned complexion, blue eyes, blonde hair, and a yellow monkey tail...a monkey tail that he used to hang upside down from a lamppost after climbing it.

One of the crew members came to a stop, scowling. "You no good stowaway!"

"Hey!" the blonde monkey jeered back, tossing a banana peel at the man's face. "A no good stowaway would have been caught! I am a great stowaway!"

He used his tail to swing him away from a rock that was aimed at his face. He swung himself over the lamp so he could land on the metal bar.

"Hey! Get down from there this instant!" One of the cops ordered as they approached the lamppost.

The monkey Faunus merely laughed mischievously as he jumped off the lamppost, and through a series of acrobatic movements, leaped away from the policemen, landing in a roll before springing back up from his feet. He then broke out into a run as the two gave chase. However, as he did, he gave Blake a wink, catching her off guard. He then dashed around the corner, the police and ship members chasing after him. "Well Weiss," Yang grinned, momentarily forgetting the cold atmosphere that Rouge had created earlier. "You wanted to see the competition, and there it goes."

"Quick!" she called, giving chase. "We have to observe him!" In a panic, the other three girls of Team RWBY followed the heiress.

Rouge, however, stayed behind. He was a bit in a sour mood given Weiss' comment earlier, and thus did not want to associate himself with her any longer than he had to today. He gave an aggravated sigh as he scratched his scalp, walking away from the crime scene. "Pathetic...truly pathetic..." He said under his breath. What the subject of his words was undiscernable, yet there was no mistaking the tone of contempt in his voice.

Perhaps he was being hypocritical about his words to Ruby on the day before Initiation about Jaune Arc, but he already knew what Weiss Schnee would be like. He had done extensive research on the Schnee Family, and so far, the only real respectable person, in some capacity or form was the eldest daughter, Winter Schnee. The youngest child, Whitley Schnee, was hardly of any concern. If at all anything, he was like his father; contemptible and ignorant, unwilling to embrace a future not yet laid in stone. Weiss Schnee, on the other hand, from what info he could gleam, had apparently taken the harsh living environments around her to heart and thus hated the Faunus with so much vigor that she was unwilling to see past the fact that the little brat's family, along with other major corporations and human brutality, was the primary reason why the White Fang went from the peaceful protest group that Ghira Belladonna made them to be into the terrorist group that Sienna Khan molded them into.

He could barely stand to be around her. It was best if he was given some time alone.

 _'If memory serves, there's a good cafe around her that Edan recommended...'_

From what he recalled of his friend telling him, it was called Blanc Noir, or something along those lines. Supposedly, they served pretty good coffee and tea. After that headache that Weiss caused him, he could use some caffeine.

* * *

"Hey, Edan!" The infamous Blue Devil turned around, finding one of the BF members running up to him. "We got word from PIECE again! Torchwick and the Fang are making a move in a few days! Big Schnee crate!"

"Oh, NOW we're talking!" The blue haired teen clapped his hands together in glee.

It had been a while since their last update from PIECE, which resulted in them getting supplies and a few new members. Speaking of which, Edan made a mental note to try and woo that Hyena girl from earlier. Really, that laugh would sound so much more if she was embarrassed. It made her look really cute. At any rate, he and the informant moved closer to the railing, overseeing a few other members work on their tasks. On one of the warehouse, they were working on plans for the next attack on a crime syndicate. On another side, they were working on a batch of new weapons they stole - courtesy of another shipment from Atlas. Others were scattered about, doing their own thing.

"So, what's the word?"

"They are sending four airships full of White Fang soldiers wth Roman heading the operation. One will lead while the other three will follow as backup. All of the, are weaponized to the teeth."

Edan whistled. "A lot of firepower," he noted. "And this is...where, exactly?"

"Vale, sir!"

"Vale, huh? Right where the boss is right now..." The boy's lips curled into a mischievous grin. "This is DEFINITELY going to be one hell of a greeting to him." He then thanked his comrade before gathering the attention of everyone else. He turned on his heel, choosing to head back to the entrance while he called Rouge. He, of all people, needed to know this before the Black Fang decided to screw with Torchwick and Adam Taurus' little posse.

* * *

When Rouge returned to Beacon at last, he initially went to go to his room and catch up on his reading or see if he had any new messages from Edan or PIECE.

"I don't understand why this is causing such a problem!"

Unfortunately, that chance was blown out the window and groaned. "Still?" he muttered before he entered Team RWBY's room, and to no surprise, Blake and Weiss were still at each other's throats. Ruby and Yang looked on while they bickered, still clearly as unsure how to deal with them or get them to stop. Noticing him enter, they turned. "How long have they been at it?"

"Ever since Weiss still bashed on the monkey guy we ran into," Yang told him. "What's up with you?"

"Well, I wanted to get some peace and quiet reading," he paused a moment and gave a slight glare at the two, mostly Weiss. "But obviously not. Actually, I remembered I loaned Blake a book. Has she finished it yet?"

Ruby nodded. "Its on the desk," she informed him. "She said she was going to give it back to you today." Rouge thanked her and moved to the desk to grab the book.

"That IS the problem!"

As he picked up the novel, Rouge's eyes darted over to Blake who snapped harshly at Weiss.

"You realize you're defending an organization that hates humanity, don't you?" The heiress stood up from her bed, her eyes narrowed in a glare as she crossed her arms. "The Faunus of the White Fang are pure evil."

"There's no such thing as "pure evil"!" Blake stood up in anger. "Why do you think they hate humanity so much?! It's because of people like Cardin, people like YOU-" she spat with venom and animosity, enough so that it caused everyone in the room to flinch. "-that force them to take such drastic measures!"

Weiss gawked at the girl. "P-people like me?!"

"You're discriminatory!

"I am a VICTIM!" She snapped back, standing up from her own bed. The two girls glared at each other heatedly. For a moment, Ruby and Yang were worried that a fight was about to break out between them. "You want to know why I despise the White Fang?" she questioned. Eventually, she moved to the windowsill. "Why I don't particularly trust the Faunus? It's because they've been at war with my family for years. War, as in actual bloodshed... My grandfather's company has had a target painted across its back for as long as I can remember. And ever since I was a child, I've watched family friends disappear; board members executed; an entire train car full of Dust, stolen. And every day, my father would come home, furious. And that made for a very difficult childhood."

To pronounce how difficult it seemed to her, she lammed a fist down on the bookshelf.

The girls' eyes softened. Blake, for her part, didn't know how to react. She had been more than aware of how much grief her brothers and sisters had put on the Schnee family, but she didn't realize it was so bad that it would be as frightening as that. Ruby went over to Weiss to try and comfort her. "Weiss, I…"

"No!" She turned away from Ruby, and walked back over to Blake. "You want to know why I despise the White Fang?" she shouted angrily. "It's because they're a bunch of liars, thieves, and murderers!"

A growl escaped from Blake. For the first time in her life, she finally snapped. She had ENOUGH.

"WELL MAYBE WE-!"

The words were ceased when the sound of a book slamming harshly on wood silenced them. The action even caused Ruby to jump in fright and turned to the source. It was Rouge. His eyes were overshadowed by his bangs, and he was eerily quiet throughout the whole argument, unlike before when he openly berated Weiss earlier.

"...I've had enough to hear with you." A shiver ran down Ruby's spine as Rouge turned and slowly walked toward Weiss. Unconsciously, she and Yang stepped back. "I've been putting up with you because I was willing to give you a benefit of a doubt, despite my misgivings...but you've seen the end of my patience, SCHNEE."

He spat out the words so coldly that the girls could practically feel the air drop by several degrees. His words so spiteful that it almost seemed like a slap to the face for Weiss, who stared back in slight fear as she took a shaky step back.

"Blake wasn't wrong. It's people like you, like Cardin, and your father why the Faunus are subjected to so much hate. Why they are oppressed. Who could blame them? After all, arrogant, bigoted idiots like you continue to oppress the Faunus and treat them less than human, when in reality they are more human that you could ever be."

Another step forward, and another step back.

"You grew up in a household where your own family treats Faunus as nothing more than slaves for your Dust mines, subjecting them to poor work conditions, minimal pay, and complete disregard as to whether or not they could DIE down there. Treatment like that is EXACTLY why the White Fang became like this. They tried to make you all understand through peaceful protests and rallies. And what do you do?"

Weiss squeaked in fear when she took another step back, her back touching the shelf. Rouge was barely a foot away from her, his glare still yet hidden by the bangs of his eyes.

"You ignored them. You ignore them and inflict police brutality under the guise that they were rioting. A complete lie! How many Faunus have been injured over disregard of their very existence? How many of them died at the hands of negligent humans?! It's exactly because of fools like you and the general public that the White Fang became what it is today. There is a limit of how much abuse a person can take before snapping. Well, congratulations...you made them break and this is the result."

Finally, he got in her face, and raised his head, revealing eyes that just burned with absolute, cold unbridled rage and hate that was enough to terrify her. If she were speaking honestly...the baneful glare reminded her of her father on his worst days, only the hate was magnified to an unheard of level. She felt her legs tremble, and her eyes start to water.

"Also, how many families has the Schnee Dust Corporation ruined in the past years that Jacques has been running the SDC? How many people lost their lives to a man who's so blinded by his own prejudice that he refuses to look at them as people? How many LIVES has he trampled over for the sake of his own profit? How many people lost their jobs because of his ego and his 'unsatisfaction' with their work? Blake's made her feelings clear, now let me make my feelings clear."

Another step forward. Their faces were practically touching by this point.

"In my opinion...you and every person like you is responsible for the White Fang becoming what should have been a peaceful protest group into a group of murders." The words were like a dagger, punching straight into Weiss' heart and even further increasing her fear over the man in front of her. "People like you, WEISS SCHNEE...are little more than murderers yourselves for what happened."

With that said, he finally stepped back. When he did, Weiss' legs finally gave out and crumpled to the floor. He didn't even deign to look at her as he walked out. "W-wait!" Ruby cried in a stutter, clearly shaken by the hostility and rage that her twin brother showed her teammate. True, Weiss was hard to work with, but...what Rouge did was too far! "Where are you going?!"

"Out," he said without turning around. "If I have to stay here any longer with that tepid, overprivileged parasite, I'm going to lose my mind."

"Rouge, wait!" Yang grabbed him by the shoulder to stop him, but he immediately shrugged it off and ignored her. He crossed the threshold outside the room, grabbed the doorknob, and slammed it shut so hard that the room shook and Weiss' painting fell on the ground.

No one said a word after that...

* * *

To say that Rouge was pissed would be an understatement. Every step he took was like a stomp, quick and harsh as he entered the courtyard where the statue that greeted the students upon arrival sat.

He stopped his march at the base of the statue and looked up to the Huntsman immortalized in stone. It nauseated him. Huntsmen and Huntresses are supposed to protect the innocent from the guilty and the creatures of Grimm. Instead, what does everyone do They fight amongst each other. Landmass against Landmass, Kingdom against Kingdom, Race against Race, Huntsmen against Huntsmen. It never changes. These so called protectors of humanity have betrayed the very duty they swore to upheld. No wonder Grimm attacks have been escalating all this time. It was only a matter of time before everyone with a soul will true be overrun by the soulless creatures. And when the time comes...he is going to laugh. Laugh at the irony, laugh at their idiocy, and laugh as they all wallow in despair and regret...Because by then...it will already be too late.

Unfortunately, though...he refused to let that happen. If no one else is going to save this twisted world...then let it fall. He will simply destroy it and usher in a new one in its place. After all, isn't that the history of things? For the old to be swept aside into history, and a new one is to be built in its place? A manic grin etched itself onto his face. Razing this distorted world to the ground and constructing a new one...the very thought filled him with glee.

If the fools wanted to cling to their so-called order, then fine. He'd show them how meaningless it all is in the end. As he reached the statue, he felt his Scroll vibrate. He pulled it from his pants pocket, and looked at the caller. His grin widened and pressed it to his ear. "You have something new?"

"Oh, a lot more than that," Edan said happily. "Our glorious leader is about to take to the field again. I figured you'd want in on the action, Rouge old buddy."

"Hm, quite the bold claim...what should garner my attention enough to come along for the ride?"

"What would you do if I told you that four bulkheads, armed to the teeth with White Fang nuts, led by one Roman Torchwick and Adam Taurus, are on their way to Vale tomorrow to steal the latest shipment of Schnee Dust cargo?"

Rouge paused for a brief second before his lips pulled back into another grin. "...I would say you have officially achieved my interest. Where is the rendezvous point?"

"I'll meet you at Blanc Noir. I've been craving their chai latte lately..."

"Really? I was just there." Rouge replied a bit annoyed he'd have to backtrack to the cafe. But he'd be lying to himself if he didn't want another cup of their coffee.

He gave his regards before he ended the call and slipped his Scroll back into his pocket. He then looked at the statue - at the two heroic figures that were supposed to be the embodiment of what Huntsmen and Huntresses were supposed to be. His eyes drifted to the female - a hood pulled over her head but her face in plain view, sword stabbed into the ground with a stalwart look of determination and victory. His eyes softened as the statue's face overlapped with another.

Giant, warm pools of silver, black and red hair, and a smile that could melt a cold heart in seconds.

His mother...Summer Rose...was the true epitome of what a Huntress should be. Selfless. Kind. Strong. Protector of the weak. She was all of those things and more...above all...she was the greatest mother in the world...

His hands clenched, his once prideful and cold face breaking apart. He couldn't forget the reason why he was doing all of this. The thing that nobody wanted to do.

More importantly...he couldn't forget WHO he was doing this for.

"Ruby..."

"...its quiet out here." Rouge, surprised, turned and found Blake walking up to him, with no other girls from Team RWBY behind her. "It makes a great place to escape from everything, huh?"

"...What are you doing here Blake?" His tone held no animosity, only mere curiosity.

"I could be asking you the same thing..." She shook her head. "Then again, given your outburst towards Weiss...I think I have a pretty good idea."

"Yeah...just taking a second to cool off..."

Rouge sighed as he palmed his forehead. "I didn't intend to blow my anger out on here...but hearing her talk like she knows everything pisses me off."

"Well, at least we have that in common," Blake said, looking at the statue. "You know...I've always wondered something. When we see this statue, we immediately think of what Huntsmen and Huntresses are supposed to be. Strong, kind, meant to protect others...but do you know what I see whenever I look at this?" Rouge shook his head. "I see myself wondering...if I'm supposed to be that, or the Grimm trapped underneath the rock."

The heterochromatic teen frowned heavily at this, looking at Blake in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Rouge...what do you think of Faunus?"

He then realized what she was getting at. Whether his opinion of the Faunus is a positive one or not. The answer was simple though;

"In all honesty...I believe that Faunus are more humane than humans themselves..." The amber-eyed woman's eyes widened significantly, looking at Rouge in surprise. "They're also survivors, and justified in the actions they take. When you think about it, which are the real monsters? The White Fang, the Faunus who took matters into their own hands? Or the ones who made them by slapping the hand offering peace, time and time again?" The raven haired boy questioned. "The Faunus wanted nothing more than equality, even using nothing but peaceful methods to follow through with their goals. And what do the humans do? They spit on their attempts and beat them to the ground as if they were nothing but animals. Like I said before...there is only so much a person can withstand before they break."

Blake was quiet after that response, instead turning her attention to the statue. "...and the Black Fang?" she asked after a moment. "What do you think of them?"

"Personally," he answered without hesitation. "I think they're what this world needs."

Once more, silence fell upon the two. Whether Blake agreed or disagreed, he was unsure. For a time in the silence, they simply looked at the statue. Rouge was curious as to why she was asking his opinion on Faunus and on the Fangs in general. Was she perhaps a supporter? Actually, now that he looked more closely at her, he noticed a few features he hadn't before. She was fidgeting slightly, eyes glancing at small corners every now and then, as if paranoid about something. Her pupils were slanted somewhat, almost reminiscent to those of a cat. Her bow was also shifting slightly, and it wasn't because of the wind. It was more like there was something being bound in the bow, wiggling.

Finally, it struck him. The argument with Weiss. Her defensive nature towards the White Fang. Faunus in general.

"Blake...you're..."

The third member of Team RWBY smiled solemnly as her hands touched the bow atop her head, pulling at the strings and allowing it to become undone, revealing triangular appendages that twitched for a few times. "Surprising, isn't it?" she said sadly. "People hate us so much that sometimes...we have to hide who we really are."

"...I see...now it makes sense..." Rouge nodded. "...especially the tuna..."

Blake gave him a mock glare. "...really?"

"Had to lighten the mood," he answered wistfully. "Still...at least now I understand a bit. How long have you..."

"Been hiding?" the girl sighed. "I don't know...to be honest, I don't even know where to begin."

Rouge looked at her in concern. A Faunus that hid their true nature did so for a myriad of reasons. Going by her defensive nature towards the White Fang, he had a good idea as to who she really was. However, he wouldn't ask it here. It was pretty much begging for trouble. It would be better if they had this conversation elsewhere. As he opened his mouth, a voice called out from behind them. "You know," The two turned, and to their surprise, found the blonde-haired monkey Faunus from before, smiling as he hung from one of the many street lamps lighting the courtyard. "You look better without the bow."

"Y-you?" Blake gawked. She was nervous that someone, especially another Faunus, had seen her without the bow. At first, she thought about tying her ears back up, but realized that it probably didn't matter. Now that she thought about it...when they met, the way he looked at her...he must have known all along. "How did you...?"

"Find Beacon?" the monkey finished for her as he landed on the ground, dusting off his jeans. "Was pretty easy...though being chased by cops isn't exactly the best way to make friends."

Rouge gave him a deadpan glare. "What did you expect?" he drawled. "You are a stowaway."

"Hey, not my fault! I just got on the wrong ship is all!"

"And just how did that even happen? I'm not sure about your school's curriculum, but I'm sure that they are organized enough to ensure that their students go on their designated ship." He replied.

The blonde whistled. "Figured I was a student?"

"You wouldn't be in Vale, otherwise," Rouge answered logically. "Especially around the time of the Vytal Festival."

"Not bad," the Faunus chuckled, placing his hands behind his head. "Name's Sun. Sun Wukong, leader of Vacuo's own Team SSSN!" He gave Blake another wink, much to her chagrin. "Pleased to meet ya~"

"My name is Rouge Rose. A pleasure." He nodded and returned the greeting.

"...Blake Belladonna."

Sun grinned. Rouge was a bit curious, though. He felt as if he had heard the name 'Wukong' before, which was impossible. He had never heard that name until today, yet he found it oddly fitting that such a name was placed upon a monkey Faunus of all things. "So," Sun began as he looked at Blake. "Why hide the ears? I mean, true, I overheard the Ice Queen in white talking crap about me and all, but why try to hide what you are? Scared someone's going to tug on 'em or something?" He paused for a moment before quickly adding, "W-well, not that you have to tell me. Perfectly cool staying secret and stuff."

Blake gave him a flat stare before she sighed, pinching her nose. This was...now how she wanted this to go. She had intended to talk to Rouge, try and explain her situation to him. After all, given what he had told Weiss, her opinion of him had certainly improved. She once thought of him as just a reclusive boy who cared about his sister and nothing more. The only times she interacted with him was when she and her team were with Ruby at the time, and even then she didn't have a clear picture. His words to Weiss had helped paint a more clearer picture, so she believed she could trust him...though Sun's appearance had screwed things up for her.

Regardless, it was too late to back out now. Besides, even though she knew that the matter was her responsability...she couldn't exactly do this alone.

"...can we talk elsewhere?"

"I think that would be the best idea..." Rouge said in agreement. Sun merely grinned in delight. With that said, the three left Beacon. Unknown to either Faunus, however, the heterochromatic teen was smirking.

* * *

 **Concealed Bishop...END**

* * *

 _"You can't change the world without getting your hands dirty." -?_


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Notes:** YES! Finally, an early update! And best of all, the last chapter of Black Rebellion's Volume 1! Note to self, remind me to thank Daemon of Wrath for helping me out with this fic and many others so far! Really guys, give him a thanks, since he contributed to this story, as well as a significant number of my works, as well! Of course, we worked on a few other fics as well, but that's a story for another them!

Now...simply because this is the last chapter doesn't mean it is THE last chapter! There will be an epilogue, which will end this story! And believe you me...its a fucking doozy! However, I do apologize in advance if the end of the chapter seems kind of weak, or if Blake and Weiss are somewhat OOC. I literally got back into town when I started to write that piece with my co-writer. Hopefully the finale will leave you wanting more~

With that in mind...let us begin the beginning of the end!

* * *

 _"Have no fear of perfection, and you'll never reach it." -Salvador Dali  
_

* * *

 **RWBY: Black Rebellion**

* * *

The coffee had been as exquisite as it had been last time he had come here.

Morning had already come, the sun hanging above their heads while Rouge sat with the two Faunus, holding a cup of coffee in his hand. "Not bad," Sun said, holding his own cup with his tail. "Where'd you find this place?"

"A friend recommended it to me," he shrugged, taking another sip. "I was supposed to meet him here, but it seems that will have to wait." He then looked at the black-haired girl that had been apart of his sister's team, who sat in silence. "You alright, Blake?"

At first, she didn't answer. She stared back at the reflection in her own cup before she took a deep breath. "I'm fine, Rouge," she told him. "Just...preparing myself for something is all." She then looked back up to the two. "So...you two want to know about me. Why I keep my ears hidden?"

"Was curious," Sun said. "I mean, not the first time I've seen a Faunus hide who they are, though not exactly common. Not a lot of Faunus hide who they are in Vacuo."

"Because if you can survive there, you're welcome?" Rouge asked.

"Bingo~"

It was the unspoken rule of the Desert Kingdom. If you could survive the harsh, arid heat of the desert and crime rate there, then you were treated as an equal and welcome there. It didn't matter whether or not you were human or Faunus. In a way, it was a simple rule of Darwinism, yet nothing so extreme as a kingdom that advocated it. Blake then gave a heavy sigh, setting down her cup after a small drink before she spoke up, "What do you two know...about the White Fang and the Black Fang?"

"Well, the White Fang is just a bunch of extremists..." Sun stated. "They are terrorists that target groups suppressing Faunus. Stupid, holier-than-thou creeps that use force to get whatever they want. Bunch of freaks, if you ask me!" He paused a bit before answering the second part. "As for the Black Fang...I don't know. I mean, yeah they're a hell of a lot better than the White Fang in general, but nobody knows what the heck those guys are after. They target scumbags and pieces of crap, so I guess they're alright."

The monkey turned to Rouge. "How about you?"

"I think the same in regards to the White Fang. But in regards to the Black Fang...I believe that they are what the world needs right now."

"What makes you say that?" The Monkey Faunus raised a brow at the statement.

"Let me ask you this, Sun...when you look at this city, what do you see?" He gestured to the streets of Vale. "When you look at the surface, you see people living average day lives, uncaring about the plight that's just a few feet away from them...but when you look past that, do you know what you see?" His eyes hardened, and his grip on the cup tightened. "A cesspool of deceit, lies, and filth. Crime rings, drug cartels, mafias, gang wars, greedy companies, dirty politicians, corrupt police officers...they pull people down into the muck without a care in the world all for their own sake. Just look at the Schnee Dust Corporation. They treat Faunus workers like slaves, and for what? Personal vendettas? They were the ones who started it and made the White Fang into monsters by attacking them openly with words when all they wanted was co-existence."

For a while, the two Faunus stared at the boy, who sighed and reclined in his chair. "When you think about it...humans are worse monsters than the Grimm."

"...damn, dude," Sun said, staring at him in awe. "That was...effin' deep. Though you sorta lost me about the whole corruption thing, I kinda sorta get where you're comin' from."

"I don't blame you." Rouge shook his head. "The general populace is either unaware of such corruption or prefer to ignore it to continue with their lives until they become affected by it."

Blake gave the boy a curious glance. Since her time in Team RWBY began, she showed a slight interest in him, if only because of his apparent closed-off nature. He was the type of person who hid well in the background, unnoticed yet when he wanted attention, it was garnered without effort like a master entertainer able to gather it without any trouble whatsoever. His scathing and baneful words to the Schnee Heiress had only further increased that interest, and his words regarding the Black Fang, and corruption as a whole, only increased. Soon, though, she found their attention on her. "Why do you ask?" Rouge inquired curiously.

' _Now or never,'_ she thought, bracing herself as she took a deep breath. "The truth is...I used to be a member of the White Fang."

Sun, who was busy drinking his tea, did a spit take from the startling news, nearly drowning from his own beverage. Rouge on the other hand only had a pair of widened eyes before returning to their original width.

"Wait, YOU were a member of the White Fang?!" Sun gawked. "Seriously?!"

"Yeah." Blake nodded. "I have been my whole life...you could say I was born into it. Back then, things were different. In the ashes of war, the White Fang was meant to be a symbol of peace and unity between Humans and the Faunus. Of course, despite being promised equality, the Faunus were subjected to discrimination and hate. Humanity still thought of us as lesser beings. And so, the White Fang rose up as the voice of our people. And I was there. I was at the front of every rally. I took part in every boycott. I actually thought we were making a difference. But I was just a youthful optimist."

As she thought back, she remembered how, on the day everything had changed for them, how the blue banner they once stood for was taken down...replaced by one colored in blood.

"Then, five years ago, our leader stepped down, and a new one took his place. A new leader, with a new way of thinking."

Rouge immediately understood, then and there, what she was referring to. "...Sienna Khan," he said. "He took over the White Fang, and turned it into a terrorist cell. Protests turned into violent attacks, and rallies became raids on anything and everything involving Faunus oppression. The effects were more profound than what the White Fang could ever hope, except the acceptance and respect people showed Faunus after the attacks were anything but that. They feared Faunus, because they knew that maybe, just maybe...they would be at their throats." He took a moment to collect his thoughts, and then focused his gaze on her. "If I recall, the original leader's name was Ghira Belladonna. By any chance, Blake, are you..."

"Yes," she nodded without hesitation. "He was my father, and the true founder of the original White Fang." She took a deep breath, and continued. "Even when he stepped down, I still followed the White Fang, but after a while...I started to see how distorted we became. Even worse, someone I cared about was turning into a monster. The last job I took on for them was a Schnee Dust freighter train. My partner wanted to detonate charges that would have hurt the passengers, or worse...so I left. Of course, I still kept tabs on what they were doing...and eventually, around a year ago, things changed...for both Faunus, and humans."

Sun's eyes widened. "The Black Fang..."

"Yes." Blake nodded again. "They were an organization formed not too long ago, populated by both Faunus and Humans alike. They intervened on attacks perpetrated by the White a Fang and other criminals. They even went as far as to raid White Fang bases across Remnant. No one knows their true motives, or even seen their Leaders face."

"Even though they were formed a year ago, they earned a lot of attention," Rouge supplied. "They didn't just attack the White Fang, but other groups as well. Publicly criticizing the Schnee Dust Company and other corrupt businesses, wiping out mafias and gangs, exposing corporate wrongdoings, eliminating drug cartels and crime rings...they made their statement clear: it doesn't matter if you are Faunus or Human, if you are making the world warped and twisted, then you are our mark."

"Daaaamn..." Sun whistled lowly. "Those guys are pretty hardcore..."

"And they make a difference," Blake added. "In some parts of Remnant, a few communities have started to accept Faunus, though many of the more extremists condone them for their actions. Some call them worse than the White Fang, others...you get the picture."

"Yeesh..." Sun shook his head, taking another drink of his coffee before looking at her. "So, this whole you secretly being a Faunus thing...do any of your friends know?"

"No..." She shook her head. "I never told them...Rouge here is the only one."

* * *

"ROUGE! ROUGE! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

Ruby hollered out as she scanned the streets for any sign of her twin brother. Yang and Weiss trailed behind her. They were in Vale searching for their missing team member and heterochromatic teen. They have been missing for hours and made no contact with them whatsoever. When morning had arrived, the girls had only grown even more worried, especially since Blake had also not returned either. This made the sisters decide to go into town, hoping to find them, or at least one of them. They asked for help from JNPR in case they came back to the school while they went into town, asking if anyone had seen them recently. However, they had no such luck.

"They've been gone all weekend," she whimpered. "I hope they're okay..."

"Don't worry, Rubes." Yang reassured her. "This is Rouge and Blake were talking about here. They can take care of themselves...I'm sure they're fine..."

Weiss remained silent, walking a few steps behind the sisters. After Rouge spoke his piece...she had a lot to think about the previous night and in the morning.

As much as she hated to admit, he had brought up quite a few points that had utterly left her without an argument. Her whole history revolved around a house that was terrorized by people her father considered animals, and that fact had been burned into her very philosophy. She didn't hate Faunus, per say, but she certainly held no love for those that broke the law, who could be a White Fang member without anyone realizing it. Perhaps she was biased in this regard, but could one not call her justified with how difficult her life at home was, with the White Fang out for her. And, yet, Rouge had utterly destroyed this fact so easily, and with so much disdain, it was hard to imagine him as the sibling to her dunce of a leader.

Was he right, though? Was it because of her family that the White Fang became monsters? She had been aware that they were once a peaceful protest group, but after the old leader stepped down, became the group it was today.

She knew of her father's implementation of...less than savory labor laws in the Dust Mines, whose workers happened to be entirely composed of Faunus.

However, it was of the White Fang's constant aggravations and assaults and attacks on their family that caused it...yet after hearing Rouge talk to her, she couldn't help but wonder if things would be better if they had become more accepting of the Faunus? Or was that bridge already burned down?

She gave a frustrated sigh, palming her forehead. A thought crossed her mind, and looked at the two sisters. "I need to use the bathroom real quick," she lied to her leader and friend. "Be right back." The two gave her a strange look, but nodded. She then went into the nearest store, asking if she could use their restroom. After finding it, she locked the door behind her and opened up her scroll, dialing up a number.

After a few seconds, the call picked up a line. "This is a surprise," the voice on the other end remarked. It was feminine and mature, bearing a similar haughty tone like that of Weiss, only far more reserved with a stricter tone. "The last time you called, it was because you wanted to ask my permission to go to Beacon."

"You're never going to live that down, are you?" Weiss rolled her eyes, but smiled nonetheless. "I told you, I meant to call father...but its good to hear your voice again, Winter. How are things in Atlas?"

"Fairly well, all things considered," Winter answered. "General Ironwood is currently making preparations for the Atlas Academy's students' trip to Vale. I was honestly surprised when he informed me that he was going as well."

Weiss' eyes widened a bit. The general himself was coming to visit Vale? That was odd. She didn't think too much of it, however, as she believed it was most likely related to the matters about the Vytal Festival. "And how are you doing over there, Weiss?"

"...can I be honest?"

"I'd expect nothing less."

"...I got into a fight with my leader's brother about the White Fang and the Schnee Dust Company."

Her sister paused momentarily as she let the information sink in. "...I see. And I take it that is the reason why you called?"

"...Yes..." She said meekly.

"Tell me what happened."

She sighed. Where to begin? She started with her trip to Vale the other day alongside her friends, and where they found a Dust store that had been robbed. Then the White Fang came up in conversation, bringing her into an argument with her teammate Blake, and soon Rouge. She recounted the details of the argument, and then the continuation with Blake that lasted all the way to dorm room...and then Rouge's verbal lashout at her. When she was finished, she found herself gasping for breath, practically explaining it in one breath. She took a moment to catch some air, wiping off some sweat.

"...well, as much as I hate to say it, the boy isn't entirely wrong," Winter said after a pregnant pause of silence. "When our father took over after grandfather retired from the business, he did a number of things that were questionable. So perhaps he is right in that the White Fang became monsters..."

Weiss' eyes widened. Her sister was...agreeing with Rouge?! She opened her mouth to speak her mind-

"...but he is wrong in judging you for something as trivial as that," she continued, stopping her younger sibling. "Yes, we are daughters of a man who hates Faunus for whatever reasons there may be, but we are our own individuals. Not only that, simply because we are Schnees does not make us automatically the same as Jacques Schnee. However, I have to say, I am a bit disappointed in you," Weiss could only shudder, feeling Winter's cold glare stare through the Scroll. "Simply hiding away on a ship is wrong, but that does not automatically make him the same as the White Fang, Weiss, nor any other Faunus. Nowadays, because of the White Fang's actions, it is harder and harder for them to go about their daily life without suffering from some form of prejudice. While this Rouge was wrong for judging you, you were wrong for judging that Faunus. It is poor behavior to make assumptions without truly knowing their individual circumstances." She added.

Weiss drooped her head down. "R-right...sorry."

"It's fine," Winter waved a hand. "Still, from the sound of it, this Rouge boy certainly has quite the skewed view. And he's the brother of your team leader?"

"That's right," she nodded before giving a sigh. "How in the world that guy is related to Ruby Rose all of people, I'll never know."

"...Rose?"

"Sorry, Winter, I have to go. Talk to you later?"

"...of course."

Weiss smiled, and ended the call, leaving the bathroom and heading back to Ruby and Yang...all the while unaware of the troubled look that lasted on Winter's face as she ended the call.

* * *

"So...what exactly do you plan to do?" Sun asked as he, Rouge and Blake walked down the streets, the blonde with his hands behind his head. "I mean, you gotta have some idea to prove that the White Fang is innocent, right?"

"I'm just not sure. The White Fang never needed that much Dust before." Blake shook her head.

"Agreed." Rouge nodded. "While their prior attacks have been to steal cargo from companies that implement Faunus Labor...the amount was never to this extreme."

"But what if they did...?" Sun asked, as an idea struck him. The two gave him a look. "I mean, the only way to prove that they didn't do it, is to go to the place where they would most likely go to if they were to do it, and not find them there...right?"

Rouge and Blake stared at him for several seconds before conceding to the point. "...that actually would make sense," the heterochromatic teen said. "Go to the place the White Fang would most likely head to, and catch them in the act."

"Exactly what I just said, dude."

"The way you said it was disturbing, Sun."

Blake frowned, folding her arms. "But where would that be?"

"Well, while I was on the ship, I overheard some guys talking about offloading a HUGE shipment of Dust coming in from Atlas." Sun offered.

"How huge?" Blake asked him.

"HUGE. Big Schnee Company freighter." Sun spread his arms wide around him for emphasis.

"You're sure?"

THe monkey Faunus nodded. "Positive."

"Well, I guess that answers the question," Rouge said as he looked at Blake. "Still...you think you're okay for this?"

The girl frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, you're going to be up against your former friends and comrades. It's pretty much going to be one nasty family reunion that will end up with us at each other's throats," he pointed out with an example. "That, and they won't take too well to you working with a human."

For a moment, the Cat Faunus was silent. She knew the boy was right. The White Fang would most likely condemn her for working with a human. "...maybe," she said after a moment, amber eyes steely with determination. "But I can't ignore this. The Fang...if they are behind this...then I need to stop them. They've done far too much to be left alone anymore. Maybe the Black Fang will beat them one day...but until then, I..." She took a moment, taking a deep breath, and exhaling. "...I need to this. If not for myself, then for someone I care about."

Both males of the group glanced at one another before turning to face Blake once more, their expressions varying. For Sun, it was bright, sunny grin showing his complete support in her decision. Whether it was due to the exciting prospect of stopping the White Fang or out of genuine concern for her, it was more so the latter than the former.

For Rouge on the other hand...was a small grin of determination and...from what Blake could try to discern...approval. "Well, if we're doing this, we're gonna need more than three people," he said. "I have a few friends who can back us up."

"Are you sure?" Blake asked, concerned. "I don't want to drag anyone else into this."

"Well, they have a bit of history with the White Fang, so its a moot point. They'll find out anyway," he told her before he walked away. He felt the two Faunus stare at him before they promised to meet up at the cargo bay. Once he was sure they were out of sight, he looked to the side, finding a figure hidden in the darkness, leaning against the wall with his arms folded, and a hood over his head. "So, what do you think, Flaemis?" he asked. "Think she's material?"

"Oh most definitely..." The figure grinned beneath his hood. "Her determination is iron-clad. And from what you informed me before, he combat skill is pretty top notch. She'd fit right in with our merry band of progressive misfits."

"That's good to hear." Rouge nodded.

"Plus, PIECE already said it himself, didn't he? Now, we wait and see for leader to take to the field." Flaemis chuckled. "You know, this might be his first debut since he formed the Black Fang."

Rouge chuckled. "Perhaps," he said. "But...I doubt it can be called a debut. If at all anything, it is more of a rehearsal."

"Planning for a grander stage?" the hooded figure shook his head in amusement. "What is it with you and theatrics?"

"Like my mother said; if you're gonna do it, make it as flashy as possible."

* * *

"So...Rouge is your brother?" Asked a young girl a couple years older than Ruby. She had short, curly orange hair that came down to her chin with a pink bow in her hair. Her eyes were open wide and bright green. Her complexion was light with freckles dotted across her nose. She was garbed in a rather old-fashioned beige blouse with short, feminine overalls colored gray with bright green highlights. She wore a green and black collar with a matching pair of stockings.

She was Penny Polendina, a girl that Ruby and the other ran into the other day after chasing after Sun. After an initial introduction and few other words exchanged, she and Ruby became friends. Currently, they were both walking through the streets of Vale after Weiss and Yang decided to split up with them and search on the far end of town and away from the girl they deemed...unusual. Penny asked Ruby about Blake and Rouge wanting to know more about them.

The silver-eyed girl sighed. "Yes, Penny."

"But you're mad at him?"

"W-well, I wouldn't say I'm mad, just worried."

"Why are you worried?" She asked with a tilt of her head.

"It's because he's my brother. Plus...he said some pretty mean things to Weiss the other night...I just want them to make up..."

Penny tilted her head. "Mean?" she said before she gassped. "Wait...did he break up with her?!"

"W-what?!" Ruby said, aghast. She wasn't sure why, but the thought of Weiss and Rouge DATING horrified her. "N-no! Nothing like that!"

"Then why would they need to make up? Isn't that the procedure couples go through when they want to get back together?" She asked in confusion.

"N-no, Penny...it's...ugh..." Ruby sighed. She didn't know how the conversation turn out this way. "Weiss and Blake had an argument, and Rouge stepped in and said some really mean things to Weiss before storming off...I've never seen him that angry before..." It was like Rouge was completely disgusted by Weiss.

She gave another tired sigh. "He really has changed..."

Penny tilted her head. "Changed?"

"W-well, you wouldn't have guessed it, looking at him now, but when mom was alive, he was such a cry-baby," Ruby said, recalling the much more fond and joyful memories they once shared. "When someone was bullying me, he'd stand up to the bullies, even though his knees were shaking. In the end, Yang had to rescue us both. Whenever Yang would tease him, he'd go running to mom." She giggled a bit. "He was such a momma's boy...but I really wasn't any better. If I were any of those situations, I would have done the same. Mom was awesome, she was like a superhero, you know? Fighting monsters to save the day, spending time with her family, baking awesome-sauce cookies...and back then, Rouge was almost always smiling, like there wasn't a care in the world."

"He sounds like a wonderful young man," Penny said.

"Yeah," the girl nodded in agreement before her face fell flat, wrought with sadness. "But...he changed after mom's funeral. He stopped smiling after that."

She knew that their mother's death impacted them greatly...but it seemed to have left many more scars on Rouge. "...he then went to my Uncle Qrow to learn how to fight, despite being young. Eventually, my uncle gave in and trained him in combat."

"Before I knew it, we were both kicking butts with scythes...but even though he still spent time with us, he still didn't smile."

"...I see," Penny said after a period of silence. There was an odd tone in her voice, perhaps envy or bitterness, but there was also sadness in her voice as well. "I'm afraid I don't know what that's like. I don't have any siblings. But," she then regained her otherwise bright and cheerful smile. "I'm sure your brother is still that cry-baby you described him as."

Ruby quirked an eyebrow. "How do you figure?"

"Well, if he wasn't then would he have run off after saying mean things to Weiss?" She asked. "He probably is still a cry-baby...just showing it a different way."

Ruby was even more confused. Was Penny suggesting he was actually crying after saying something that horrible to Weiss? She tried to picture the sight, him hiding away in some corner bawling his eyes out...but she couldn't. If anything, the imaginary sight made her laugh, trying her best to keep her balance. She wiped a tear from her eye before looking at the ginger-haired girl. "Thanks, Penny," she said. "I think...I really needed that."

"Anytime, Friend Ruby!"

* * *

Night had descended upon Remnant, with its shattered moon hanging overhead in the night sky. Blake sat flat on her stomach, amber eyes trained on the vast many shipments of Dust cargo, all branded with the insignia of the SDC. In truth, she was slightly nervous, wondering if the Fang was actually behind this. It was a small piece of doubt in her mind that she tried to push away, but she reminded herself why she was doing this. If the White Fang...if her family...if Adam...was behind this, she needed to stop them. She couldn't stand this any longer, watching the group her father made turn into something warped and twisted. Thinking back on it now, what she did to Ghira was horrible, calling him a coward. Gods, she was starting to think she was insane back then. She should have seen the signs that the Fang was taking a turn for the worst...but it was too late. The damage was done.

And now she had to fix it."

"Did I miss anything?" Sun called, landing behind her.

She turned, finding him walking up to her and staring at the empty sight. "Not really," she confessed. "They've offloaded the crates from the boat. Now they're just sitting there."

"Cool," he remarked before holding out an apple, much to her confusion. He grinned. "I stole you some food?"

"...do you always break the law without a second thought?"

"Hey, weren't you in a cult or something?" Blake narrowed her eyes, ears twitching in indignation while a growl escaped her throat. Sun immediately blanched, recoiling. "Okay, too soon." He then noticed something was off, and looked around. "Hey, where's purple and silver?"

"Don't know," Blake answered, turning her attention back to the Dust crates. "He hasn't called. To be honest...I'm hoping he decided to back out. The less people involved, the better."

"Maybe...but if the White Fang really is planning on a robbery, we're going to need backup. I'm not dissing your combat skills, but even I know the consequences of being outnumbered and outgunned." Sun said as he took a bite out of a pilfered apple.

Blake would retort to that, but she knew he had a point. If Adam was there...they were definitely going to need backup. She didn't know how strong he had become, though if she were honest...in a one on one fight to the death, he would be the victor. His skill far outclassed hers. True, she could wear him down, but he would inevitably end her. He was that powerful. As she thought of a way to deal with the situation, she heard the sound of an engine roaring above them. Looking up, a Bulkhead was flying over them, headlights flashing. Immediately, the two Faunus ducked to hide themselves as it descended, and the cargo doors opening.

Her heart sank when she saw familiar individuals, dressed in white armor with silver masks over their faces. It soon sank to the very depths when the last to exit was a man garbed entirely in black with a sheathed katana in hand, hair dark red, and his mask accented with red markings.

"Holy shit," Sun said, recognizing the man, whispering in awe and horror. "That's...that's Adam Taurus."

There was no way he would NOT know the man. He was one of the executives of the White Fang. He's led quite a few of his own raids and attacks, some of which making the news. One of the main reasons being was that he left no survivors in his wake. They were all killed, either by his blade or by a gunshot wound. Needless to say, his strength was undeniable.

For a moment, Sun was hoping it was just an imposter, but just looking at the man made him feel as if he was walking on a tight rope, and the slightest slip would end him. Blake, for her part, felt her heart ache. "...it's them," she whispered, looking down in despair. "It's really them."

"...you were hoping it wasn't them, were you?"

"Yeah...but somehow, deep down...I knew."

Suddenly, a new voice spoke up, one that made both Faunus look up and stare in shock as its owner stepped into view. "What's the hold up, Taurus?" the owner of the voice, one Roman Torchwick, asked with distaste. "We're not exactly the most inconspicious thieves at the moment, so would you try and make your friends pick up the pace?!"

"Don't get smart with me, Roman," Adam warned threateningly. "Don't forget...this arrangement is temporary."

Sun quirked an eyebrow. "Not exactly a five-star partnership," he remarked before looking at Blake, finding her shell-shocked and stunned. "You okay?"

"...this isn't right," she said in disbelief. What she saw...didn't make any sense. Adam HATED humans with a passion. And Roman Torchwick was, by far, one of the worst human beings she knew of, thus the idea of the two working together made absolutely no sense at all. "The White Fang...ADAM would never work with a human," she frowned as she stood up, unsheathing Gambal Shroud from her back. "Especially not one like that."

Sun's eyes widened. "Wait, what're you-?!"

Blake didn't listen as she jumped down, landing in a crouch. She quickly hid behind one of the many dust crates, peering out around the corner, seeing Roman bicker with one of the grunts. "No, you idiot, this isn't a leash!" he berated. As the grunt left in displeasure, an opening was made, and she took it. Swiftly, she closed the distance between herself and her target, moving in with one hand snapping at his wrist, twisting his arm and putting it to his back before aiming her blade at his neck, causing his eyes to widen. "What the...?! Oh, for f-"

"NOBODY MOVE!" She demanded, catching the attention of all the grunts. They all brandished their rifles and sabers and aimed at her direction. Adam simply turned to face her, his expression unreadable.

"Woah! Take it easy there, little lady..." Roman snarked, despite the blade held at neck point. The White Fang grunts surrounded her, with Adam standing behind in the shadows.

Narrowing her eyes, she then removed her bow with her free hand, leaving her Faunus heritage visible to all of the world. "Brothers of the White Fang. Why are you aiding this scum?!"

The grunts, in surprise, lowered their arms, looking at one another, unsure of what to do. Adam then stepped out, the subordinates immediately parting. "...well, this is a surprise," the red-haired Bull Faunus said, giving a faint grin. "Its been so long, my love."

"Adam..." Blake glared, her eyes narrowing with as much steel as she could muster.

Meanwhile, Roman's eyes widened. "W-wait, this kid is your girl?" he asked before grinning. "Oh, that is just rich! Its like a soap-OW!" he cried when Blake stepped on his foot. "Watch it, brat! These boots are brand new!"

"...why are you working with Torchwick, Adam?" she questioned, her tone laced with anger. "I know you. You would rather die than work with a human."

"Oh, so NOW you care," Adam scoffed, his lips curling into a snarl. "I'm touched."

"I always cared..." She rebutted.

"Really? Then did you care about me back on that train back in Forever Fall?" He hissed back venomously.

Blake said nothing, which only seemed to anger Adam even more. "Of course you didn't," he spat. "After all, you abandoned your only family, for...what? A hand at a simpler life? Try to make things right? I wonder, how well has that been working out?"

"...that's not important!" she snapped. She couldn't let herself become distracted or easily duped by Adam's taunts. She had to remain firm. "Answer me, Adam! Why are you working with scum like this?!"

Roman chuckled, shaking his head. "What, you didn't get the memo, kid?" he jeered, earning her attention. "The White Fang and I are going on a joint business venture together!"

"Tell me what it is, or I'll put an end to your little operation." Blake threatened as she pressed her blade closer to Torchwik's neck.

Then the unmistakable sound of whirring airship engines roared from above. A turbulent gale picked up as well, blowing Blake's hair into her face. All the while, the mobster chuckled.

"I wouldn't exactly call it...a little operation..."

Blake looked up, and to her horror, found two more Bulkheads flying ahead. Roman saw this distraction, and grinned, twirling his cane and aiming at his feet. When the Cat Faunus realized this, it was too late, and he pulled the trigger.

* * *

From a distance, a loud explosion was heard, following by a building pile of black smoke. Ahead, the yet-revealed leader of the Black Fang, with his right-hand man, Edan standing next to him, hood lowered and a naked blade resting on his shoulder. Behind them were many officers of the Black Fang, all wearing black jackets with hoods drawn over their heads, and their masks set over their faces. As opposed to the masks of the White Fang, these were ebony, with dark purple markings drawn over them.

"The operation has begun," the leader of the Black Fang announced. "Take down all White Fang officers...but leave Taurus alone. Edan will deal with him personally."

"Yes sir!" The Black Fang troops cried out in unison. They then advanced towards the soon-to-be battleground, leaving the Leader and Edan behind. The Blue Devil had a grin on his face.

"Oh, Leader...this is going to be a festival." He shook his head in anticipation.

The Leader chuckled. "I prefer to think of it as...a rehearsal."

* * *

When Blake regained her senses, she quickly rolled out of the way, avoiding another shot from Roman's cane. Each shot destroyed some of the cargo, but he seemed relatively unconcerned. When he fired off a shot, she took cover behind one of the cargo crates. "Here, kitty kitty," the mafiaso said tauntingly, approaching the cargo she hid behind. However, just as he was about to aim and fire, a banana peel struck him in the face. "What the-?!"

"Leave her alone!"

Roman removed the peel from his face and was greeted by the sight of Sun leaping in and planting his feet on his face. The mobster was knocked to the ground as the Faunus descended rolling on the ground before springing back up on his feet. He then turned around and glared fiercely at the human.

As this occurred, the hatches of the newly landed airships opened up, revealing more White Fang grunts.

"You know," Roman said, hissing as he stood up, dusting his coat before he glared at Sun. "You're really not the brightest banana, are you, monkey boy?"

With that said, the White Fang charged at him. Sun evades the attacks, weaving around them while delivering punches and kicks to get some breathing room, pulling out a collapsible red staff. He quickly used it to beat down each opponent that got even so much as an in close to him, taking down each grunt with a single flaming blow as he spun around, even creating a scorching shockwave to knock away the last of the White Fang cannon fodder.

Blake peered around the corner of the container watching Sun jump around and beat on more White Fang soldiers, causing one to fly over Roman's head. The crime boss growled in annoyance and aims his cane at Sun, firing off a shot. Sun swung his staff to defend himself. At this moment, Blake decided to intervene. "He's mine!" However, Gambal Shroud was deflected, barred entry by a red blade, and its owner glaring at her. "Out of the way, Adam!"

"That just hurts, my love."

Adam raised his weaponized sheath, Blush, and pulled the trigger by the opening, firing a bullet from the end. Blake evaded the projectile by leaving a shadow clone in her place. She used to opportunity to try and flank her opponent, but his stance left no room for openings. "Ah, your semblance...a reflection of your own cowardice."

"Shut it!"

She crouched down before leaping forward, his blade raised in mid swing. He intercepted the strike with his sword, Wilt. He parried the blow and kicked her away. He then raised Blush, firing off a round. Blake deflected it with Gambol Shroud, and then charged at him again, her blacck sword dragging along the ground, creating sparks before she swung at her former partner. Rather than blocking the strike, he leaned back and let the tip of the blade barely pass over his face. He reoriented himself and aimed Blush once more the moment Blake was wide open. He pulled the trigger and the bullet fired. Unfortunately, all it did was hit and disperse another shadow clone.

She ducked down, performing a leg sweep and catching him off guard. At the last moment, however, he slammed his palm into the ground, bouncing him up back to his feet before charging at his fellow Faunus. He spun around, slipping Wilt into Blush before swinging it out again in an arch. Blake barely had enough time to defend, raising her sword to block it. Sparks flew close to her face as she was sent flying back before skidding to a stop. She looked up just in time to see her former partner in the air, his sword raised to impale her.

"Shit!"

Acting quickly, she used her Semblance again, this time incorporating Dust. As the black inky clone manifested, grabbing her and tossing her away, its form began to solidify, becoming rock. However, when the Bull Faunus came crashing down, he destroyed it with ease, his blade buried into the ground. He gave a grunt as he stood, giving his sword a few swipes before turning back to Blake. "How much longer do you intend to hurt me, darling?" he asked as they circled around one another. "Can't you see this hurts me more than it does you?"

"I think you're the one who doesn't get it," Blake retorted, glaring. "Take a look, Adam! All you're doing is making things worse!"

"No, we're making a difference!"

"By working with Torchwick?!"

Adam scowled, his hand tightening around his blade. "You think I'm happy about this?!" he shouted. "If I had it my way, I would have that man's head on a platter!" Memories of the dead corpses of his comrades flashed in his mind, causing him to grit his teeth, scowling fiercely. "When you left, that woman came back to our camp! Do you know what she did, Blake? She made a statement: if we didn't side with her, we would be nothing but charcoal! And do you know what happened next?" He paused, letting the silence speak for itself. When it came to her, Blake's eyes widened, her face draining of color. "She killed so many of us...so many of our brothers, turned into nothing but ash! So tell me, Blake, tell me, how am I making things worse, when its the humans who antagonize us?! We tried making peace, and each and every time, they spit on us!"

Without warning, he charged at her again. Blake raised her sword in time to block it, and found herself struggling to keep Wilt away from her, knees quivering.

"Y-you're...wrong!" she said through gritted teeth. "There's someone...who wants to help Faunus!"

"Really now?" He scoffed in disdain. "If they truly wanted to help us...then where were they when things all spiraled down to Hell?!"

Blake's strength was starting to give in. She wouldn't be able to keep this up. Sooner or later, he would overpower her. She fell to her knee, and Wilt came ever closer. Her amber eyes glanced over to Sun, who was busy dealing with Roman and the White Fang. The blonde monkey Faunus was in a bind from what she saw; flanked by White Fang grunts all around him, and one dangerous mobster trying to kill him. The numbers were proving to be taxing to him, but he was able to knock them back somewhat while avoiding Roman's gunfire. Unfortunately, her mistake of looking away cost her, as Adam shrugged off Blake's last defense and struck her across the face with Blush, knocking her to the ground. Her head slammed against the concrete, causing it to ache and disorient her. She groaned, holding her head as she looked up and saw Adam's blade overhead.

"If I can't have you," he said. "Then no one can!"

He swung. Blake closed her eyes, waiting for the end. She felt her Aura practically on its last straw, and that one cut would end it. She had been reckless. Even though she hadn't fought for long, she had been using her Semblance in strong bursts, especially against Adam. That put a dent in the reserves. However, to her surprise, she heard a metal clang. She opened her eyes, and found a shocking sight.

A naked silver sword barred Wilt of its prize.

 **[Play: "This Is Gonna Hurt" - Sixx AM]**

Both combating figures turned their heads to face the owner of the intercepting sword, greeted by the sight of a teenage boy clad in a pair of dark pants, black fingerless gloves with metal knuckles, combat boots, and a dark hoodie that obscured his face. The most prominent features of the figure were the strands of electric blue hair peeking out from the hood, the black mask on his face, and the toothy grin he carried.

"Mind if I cut in?"

Adam's face twisted into rage. "YOU!"

"He~y, bullhead," the black-masked teen said as he forced Adam back, sending him a few meters away. "Long time no see. Did you miss me?"

"You bastard!" The red haired Faunus snarled, raising Wilt in a furious grip. "How dare you appear before me?!"

"Why wouldn't I? I couldn't just let you intentionally maim such a lovely lady." He glanced back at Blake next to him. "It just wouldn't be becoming of a gentleman, now would it?"

"Gentleman?," Adam scoffed. "HA, you're no gentleman! You're the one who cut down and incinerated so many of my comrades! Isn't that right? _Blue Devil_?!"

Edan smirked. "Oh, those guys? To be honest, it kind of left a bad taste in the mouth. I heard some feminine screams in there somewhere. Such a shame, I would have really liked to know them better. Now, don't get me wrong, I like girls be them human or Faunus, but something about bad girls..whoo!" The infamous Blue Devil of the Black Fang grinned in joy, seeing the livid look on Adam's face grow. "Still, I have to say, you really are an idiot. I mean, come on...what kind of idiot does shit like this to such a cute girl? Pretty sure that counts as abusive, bullhead. Then again, I've heard Bull Faunus are rough around the edges...oh, wait, I got it! You're pissed because your fishing hook isn't as big as your-"

"DIE!"

Cutting the boy off from any further slander, Adam dashed forward with Wilt raised high, positioned for an overhead swing. Still smiling, Edan advanced in kind and raised his own sword, parrying the strike. From there, it was like a sword dance of death, sparks flying. It was then that Blake finally registered what was happening, and found that the whole cargo bay area of the warehouse district had suddenly turned into a warzone. Sun was no longer fighting Roman, as she found him knocked out, his back against a cargo crate of Dust, head lopsided somewhat with a bruise on his forehead, indicating his Aura had run dry. However, Roman and the White Fang were now dealing with a force she had only heard, but never seen in action.

Black jackets with hoods, coupled with black masks over their faces, in opposition to the Grimm masks worn by the White Fang. She knew of only one group with either items.

"The Black Fang...!"

* * *

When Ruby and Penny reached the warehouse district, she found herself taking cover, avoiding the massive amounts of gunfire and explosions that were being tossed around like Christmas joy. She had heard the explosion, and naturally, her instincts told her to come running. What she found was Roman Torchwick and the White Fang, a combination that both worried and stumped her at the same time, but to her confusion, she found another group, all wearing black and fighting against Torchwick and the Fang.

"Who the heck are these guys?" she wondered. "I've never seen them before."

Penny, however, did. Her green eyes were trained on the symbols painted on the back of the jackets: a red wolf, bearing fangs with an avian sigil behind it, a sword run through it. "That is the Black Fang," she said, causing Ruby to look at her in surprise. "A private-armed force that was formed a little over a year ago. They are considered to be the anti-thesis to the White Fang, as their numbers compose of both Faunus and humans alike. They are well-known for their vigilante actions, stopping drug dealers, crime rings, underground mafia, and the likes."

"What?!" Ruby gaped in shock. Just what was a group like that doing here of all places? This wasn't just a battle...it was a flipping war zone!

This was bad. As much as she wanted to stop all three instigators, she knew that this many was like asking to be sent to the front line of her dad's special training without any Aura to back you up. She needed to call the authorities. However, her eyes caught sight of something that made her heart nearly stop cold.

"Blake?!"

Sure enough, it was her black-haired teammate, currently tending to the monkey Faunus that Weiss had been chasing after the day before. What on Earth was she doing here?! Without further thinking, she used her Semblance at full blast, darting through the battlefield and avoiding gunfire and explosions caused by both groups. Penny was quick to follow behind her and chose a more quick approach, running along the tops of the cargo crates of Dust. The red-hooded reaper soon skidded to a stop, the dancing rose petals created by her Semblance catching Blake's attention. She looked at her leader in shock. "R-Ruby?!" she gawked. "What are you doing here?!"

"I should be asking you that!" she cried. "You've been gone all day! And so has Rouge!"

Her amber-eyes widened. "Wait...he wasn't with you?"

"No, w-"

The two were cut short when one of the White Fang members, a red-haired Bull Faunus wielding a katana, was slammed against the side of the container, creating a dent. Ruby yelped, startled while Blake, realizing just how dangerous it was now, grabbed the unconscious Monkey Faunus before hightailing it out of there. Ruby was quick to follow. If they stayed here any further, they would end up caught in the crossfire. This was one can of worms that was too dangerous to dive into.

As the left, Adam gritted his teeth, pushing himself out of the dent his body made before glaring at Edan, who tapped his sword against his shoulder. "Come on, bullhead," he said teasingly. "Don't tell me that's all you got. I'm just getting warmed up!"

"...I'll show you true terror you bastard..." Adam growled in disdain. He sheathed Wilt into Blush and fell into an Iaido stance. He channeled his aura into the concealed sword for a single strike. He'd finish this in one go.

Edan, on the other hand, was not about to let him have his way. "Fine...if that's how you wanna play..."

He twirled his sword around before stabbing it into the ground, twisting the handle as if he would the handle of a motorcycle. When he did, azure flames danced around the sword, cloaking it in a swirling mass of flame. Beneath the mask, his eyes glowed bright azure.

Then the two clashed for one final bout.

* * *

Roman Torchwick was cursed. He knew it. What else could explain the series of unfortunate events that happened to him over these course of these couple months?

First it was being dragged into a partnership with Cinder Fall and her posse, with the offer of either helping her or dying. Next it was his Dust Robbery getting busted by a little girl in a red hood. And now it was this heist getting busted by a kitty cat, a monkey boy, and several officers of the Black Fang, with the Blue Devil himself present. Seriously, it was like fate had it out for him or something? Did he piss off one of the brother gods that Cinder talked about once or something? For now, the mobster was more concerned with getting out of here. He called for evac, though going by how things were going, it was not going to get here fast enough. He spun around on his heel, smacking one Black Fang grunt with his cane before side-stepping another, slamming his foot into their back and smacking them into a container. He fired off one round straight at them, which sent them plowing straight into it. He then fired off two more rounds at a gathering crowd, forcing them to evade and disperse.

"Where's my favorite ice cream assistant when you need her?" Roman muttered. Things would be a hell of a lot smoother if his partner-in-crime since day 1 had been here with him. That, and he was sure she would have a field day, given that the Blue Devil was here. He wasn't sure if she would be happy to see him just so she could kill him herself, or make mad love to him. He hoped it was not the latter. Any poor bastard who earned the attention of that little cunning minx was bound to find themselves in a whole heap of trouble. After all, she was working with one of the best criminals in Remnant, wasn't she? "You sure picked a hell of a day to take a vacation, Neo."

As he turned, he suddenly found himself blocking a blade. At first, he thought it was a random sword, though upon closer inspection, it was custom-made. It was jet black, with red markings engraved along the flat edge, rolling down to the hilt, which resembled a chamber of some sort, albeit customized with metal rings wrapped tightly around it, almost like vines while seemingly attached to the blade. He noticed a long, thin barrel attached to the flat edge of the blade, solidifying the idea of it being a gun-sword of some kind.

When he saw its owner, he was stunned. "The hell are you supposed to be? A clown?"

"I prefer puppet master," the individual responded before tilting the sword, aiming the barrel directly to Roman's face, making him curse. "Among other things."

"Motherf-"

The trigger was pulled as a loud gunshot resounded. The round exploded right in Romans face, temporarily blinding him and draining a large amount of his Aura. The crime boss tumbled to the ground, trying to reorient himself despite the ringing in his ears. The owner of the sword/gun hybrid casually walked over to the downed mobster, unconcerned by the battles taking place around him.

"Ow..." Roman groaned as he shook his head, getting back to his feet. "That was a cheap shot."

"That would be the pot calling the kettle black," the individual remarked before looking around. "A shame...it seems you're assistant isn't here."

"Yeah, well...she chose now of all times to take a vacation..."

Then Roman trailed off in realization. Just how did he know that he had an assistant?

The individual chuckled, seeing the stunned look on his face. "I know quite a few things, Torchwick," he said. "Some more than others. For example, how I knew the White Fang just couldn't resist cargo full of Schnee property. Though I suppose them stealing Dust would align with this mysterious employer of yours...Cinder, I believe her name was?"

"Not bad," Roman applauded. "Though let me tell you, that woman is a menace. Bad for my business!" He had to admit, the guy was certainly shrewd. Then it struck him. He stood out among the Black Fang troops moving about, taking down the animals he was forced to work with. His presence was unlike them, who's appearance was meant to strike intimidation and fear. His appearance was meant to invoke the image of something else. As flashy as the clown outfit looked, one could not deny what it brought to the table. Intimidation, fear, awe, charisma...if there was one thing Roman knew, it was that the boss of any organization had to look the part. He then whistled. "Let me guess...you're the boss of this operation."

The individual smiled beneath the mask. "I'll leave that to your imagination."

* * *

By the time the sparks had faded, and the chaos had settled down, the warehouse district was left in shambles. Only a handful of cargo from the Schnee Dust Company was left behind, slightly damaged but its contents safe. The police and press were having a field day, and for once, Ruby was wondering if she should have just stayed at Beacon or at least ignored everything that was happening. The police were interrogating her and Penny, giving their testimony. By the time Yang and Weiss had arrived, the Vale Police Department had closed off the entire district, and the press already asking for information. She let out a tired sigh as she crouched down into the fetal position. "What a night..."

"...I'm sorry," Blake said suddenly, causing the Leader of Team RWBY to look up in confusion. She saw the worried and anxious look on her face, rubbing her arm nervously. "For...worrying you guys."

"You could have at least given us a call or something," Ruby said, giving a pout. "Seriously...you're just like Rouge. Actually, isn't he with you? I mean, you two were gone all day yesterday."

The girl sighed. "I don't know, but I'm hoping he's okay," she said before she noticed Sun walking over. "Sun! Are you alright?"

"Eh, as fine as a banana," the Monkey Faunus grinned, though he winced a bit as he tended to his ribs. Other than a minor head injury, he ended up getting a couple ribs busted, courtesy of Roman Torchwick blasting him into a container. Twice, he might add. He had hoped to get a scar or two, recalling what his partner said about scars and girls. "Though if I'm honest, if this what constitutes as a date, I would hate to see what a casual day out is like."

"If your okay enough to joke, then you'll be alright." Blake shook her head, yet her lips were slightly curled in a twinge of a smile.

"I'm just glad everything worked out...except for Rouge. Just where did he go?" Yang asked, her eyes scanning the surrounding area for any sign of him.

"I don't know. We split up a few hours ago. He said something about bringing in a friend for back up, but they never showed. I assumed he regrouped with you all." The Faunus answered.

The blonde frowned, folding her arms. "Stupid idiot, making us worry," she muttered under her breath before she found Weiss approaching. "What took you so long, Ice Queen?"

"Don't call me that!" came the verbal tic when being called by that name. Weiss glowered at her teammate, feeling quite annoyed. Seriously, why did she feel the need to refer to her by such a degrading nickname?! It was utterly idiotic! She then noticed Blake and Sun, and felt a slight pang of guilt in her heart, recalling Winter's lecture. She took a deep sigh, palming her face. "Blake..."

The cat Faunus was a bit off-put. There was always the beginnings of an awkward silence and tension. She bit her lip in frustration. She wanted to tell everyone who she really was, deciding it was time to get rid of the secrecy. After her conversation with Rouge and Sun back at the cafe, she wanted to try and put her trust in them like she should have days ago. But...would Weiss even accept her? Sun gave her a tap on the shoulder, smiling. "Relax," he told her. "You'll be fine."

She still looked unsure, but nodded. She turned to Weiss. Blake took a deep breath. "Weiss, I-"

"I'm sorry."

...

...

...

...what?

Did she...did she hear that right? Both Ruby and Yang turned to their white haired team mate as well. "...Excuse me?"

"I said I am sorry, for yelling at you, for treating all Faunus like criminals like the White Fang...everything..."

Again, what? For a moment, Blake wondered if both of her ears were working properly, otherwise she could have sworn Weiss Schnee, the heiress of a company who had it out for Faunus as if they were a plague, had just apologized.

"I...was hasty in judgement," she said, exhaling a deep breath. "I was being irrational, and...perhaps a bit harsh. My family's personal feelings on Faunus got the better of me, I judged you for siding with the White Fang and the...gentleman..." You could practically tell she was having a hard time saying that about the monkey Faunus in question, who blinked and pointed a finger at himself, asking if she was talking about him. "...so, I'm sorry."

There was a small moment of silence. Everyone was quiet. Of course, Penny, who had been relatively silent, broke the silence...in by far the most awkwardest way possible. "Aha, so THIS is what they call mending a break up!" she said, causing everyone to go stiff as if frozen, and stare at her in utter ludicrously and shock. However, the girl was oblivious as she frowned, cocking her head to the side. "But I thought she was dating Rouge."

"P-Penny!" Ruby's face burned atomic red, flailing her arms comically. "T-that is not what I meant! They aren't dating, a-and I'm sure that B-Blake and W-Weiss are into boys like Yang is!"

"Truly? Oh, my apologies." Penny bowed apologetically. The group of teens looked at the green eyed girl with gobsmacked expressions. Just what was she even talking about?

However, before anyone could say anything, they saw a man in a sharp black suit with black sunglasses approach. His face was stern, and given his attire, he seemed to be someone professional, so they naturally stood up straighter out of reflex. Penny, on the other hand, seemed to recognize him, and her face fell a bit. "There you are," the man said in a neutral tone. "You know you aren't supposed to run off on your own, Ms. Polendina."

"I'm sorry for causing trouble for the Professor," Penny said, genuinely apologetic. She hadn't meant to run off, she was just so excited to see Vale for the first time, and it got worse when she made friends with Ruby Rose. "I..."

The man shook his head. "It's fine," he said. "The car is this way."

"Of course," the ginger-haired girl gave a nod before she turned to the group, bowing. "Thank you, everyone. This was a wonderful experience." She then gave a sad smile to Ruby. "Goodbye, Friend Ruby."

For some reason, the silver-eyed girl felt saddened, seeing that pitiful look on Penny's face as she left. For some reason, it reminded her of...

"...wait, hold up a sec!" Ruby shouted, blitzing straight over to Penny. The girl seemed surprised that her friend would stop her, and was even more so when she took out her Scroll. "W-what's your Scroll ID? We can talk sometime!"

"R-Really? You truly mean that?" Her eyes were wide in shock. She never exchanged Scroll IDs with anyone before.

"Of course. We are friends, aren't we?"

The smile that formed on her face would have snapped her in half. Without realizing it, her arms wrapped around Ruby's small frame, lifting her up into the air. "Ohthankyouthankthankyou~!" she said with joy. "Thank you so much, Friend Ruby!"

"P-Penny!" Ruby wheezed, feeling her ribs being crushed, aura be damned. "Too tight! Too tight!"

Team RWBY, plus Sun, let out a small laugh at the sight. Yang, however, felt proud for Ruby taking the initiative. It had taken a lot for her t come out of her shell, and yet here she was, practically socializing. Needless to say, she had hoped her brother was here to see this. He would have felt equally as proud. Eventually Penny let Ruby go, waving her goodbye as she entered the black car. The black-clad man took to the driver seat, and then drove off.

"Well, I guess we should get back to Beacon," Weiss said before she gave a groan. "I just know Professor Goodwitch is going to have a field day." She gave a small stink-eye to Ruby, who looked at her innocently. "You know, if we get in trouble because of your hero tendency, I will blame you forever."

"What?! B-but I didn't even do anything!"

Blake smiled softly, enjoying the time and peace as the girls walked away. She was about to join them when she forgot about Sun, turning to see him standing behind her, holding out a Scroll. "Well, since your Leader exchanged numbers with someone," he said with a wink, coupled with a smirk. "Wanna do the same?"

"...is that your way of saying you're attracted to me?" Blake asked dryly. Sun choked on air, thrown for a loop. It caused the amber-eyed Faunus to giggle somewhat, but complied with his request. "And, Sun? I'm sorry for getting you involved."

The Monkey shrugged. "Eh, this ain't the first time I got in a street brawl between thugs and gangs and whatnot," he said casually. "Then again, pretty sure fights between gangs back home in Vacuo didn't have flashy explosions and whatnot." He gave another wink as he walked away, waving at her. "See ya~"

Without waiting for another word, he jumped up onto one of the nearby storage crates and leaped away. Blake watched the boy go before she shook his head. She was about to pocket her scroll before she felt it vibrate in her hand. She looked, and saw she had a message, though to her confusion, it was an unknown number. _'Must be spam,'_ she thought, about to delete it, given that she didn't put much stock into spam mail all that much before she caught sight of the subject of the message.

'ROUGE ROSE'

She stared at the message in shock for a number of reasons. How did this sender know that name? Why send it to her? Moreover, how did they get her Scroll ID?! What was this about? Was Rouge okay? Where did he go? Where was he?! And many more questions plagued her. Seeing as she would receive no answers unless she responded, she opened the message.

 **[IF YOU WANT ROUGE ROSE, COME TO THE OLD WAREHOUSE AT THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE DISTRICT. ALONE. REFUSE, AND HE DIES.]**

Blake felt her body go numb, a chill ran down her spine. So this was why he never showed up?! He was kidnapped?! She had to tell Ruby and Yang! Wait, she couldn't! If she did, then they would come with her, and he would die! She cursed quietly.

She was torn. This was their brother...but if she told them...

 _'...god dammit.'_

* * *

It took a few excuses, but Blake managed to convince the girls that she had some matters to attend to. As she stood outside the warehouse, which appeared to be dilapitated and falling apart, her amber eyes trained on whatever laid inside. Though it was heavily obscured by darkness, being a Faunus allowed for one to see past that black inky darkness that would otherwise invoke fear in those who were terrified of the dark. The inside appeared to be just as broken, with a few pieces of the warehouse itself lying on the floor. The walkways above, leading to the second and third level, were rusted and looked ready to fall. Small holes in the roof allowed moonlight to fall in, giving it a sort of dreary, lonely feel.

Gripping Gambol Shroud tightly, she walked inside.

As soon as she was a few feet inside the room, the door behind her swung shut, a loud screech and clang causing her to jump. She turned behind her and silently cursed. Either that was just the wind, or they had been expecting her. Most likely the latter. Claiming herself, she quietly advanced, even more wary than before.

"If someone's there, come on out," she tried to goad them. "I'm not here to play games. Just tell me what you want, and hand over Rouge."

At first, there was just silence. It unnerved her, and tried to strain her ears. Being a Cat Faunus had some advantages, as it would allow her to hear things more clearly. All she heard was footsteps, meaning someone had taken the bait. It was coming from the far end of the warehouse. She turned, and prepared to strike. When the figure became clear, her heart tightened, as did the grip, and her eyes narrowed.

"...I should have known."

Adam smirked. "And yet you still came," he said tauntingly, a hand on his hip. "You know, you truly are naive, my love."

"So this was all it was? Leading me all into a trap? Rouge was never here to begin with, was he?" She interrogated him, despite the steadily increasing amount of tension.

The red-haired Bull laughed. "Oh, he is," he said, causing her to become alarmed. "Relax, he isn't dead...yet, anyway. Still, to think you would become so comfortable with humans...you've gotten soft."

"No," Blake countered. "I've just woken up. The White Fang are the ones who changed. You honestly think this will achieve anything?! Killing people, stealing, attacking anyone who discriminates against us?! All that will do is just make people fear us more!"

Without any warning whatsoever, Adam lunged at her, sword drawn. Blake, however, was more prepared now that she didn't have the possibility of having to deal with several attackers at once. Gambol Shroud denied Wilt's attempts to attack her, sparks flying and a small shockwave shuddering through the air. The young man gave a menacing glare beneath his mask as he pushed against his former partner and lover's defenses. "...just as they should!"

 **[Play: This Will Be The Day - Jeff Williams, feat. Casey Lee Williams]**

"This won't bring about equality, Adam!" Blake argued as she tried to force her opponent back. "All the White Fang is doing is making it harder for other Faunus to live peacefully. With each attack, humans scorn the Faunus more and more because of your actions!"

"Then is is the fault of humanity's idiocy, for blaming perceiving the actions of a few to be the responsibilities of an entire race!" Adam snapped back, breaking out of the blade lock and kicking her back.

Blake grunted as she skidded back. Adam took aim with Blush and opened fire. Acting quickly, Blake switched Gambol Shroud's form into a longer, more slim state. The katana form lacked the strength of its default, wider state, but it had longer range and allowed her to strike more swiftly. With her speed, she was able to deflect the bullets the Bull Faunus sent her way before switching forms again, this time its gun form and returning fire.

The red swordsman easily intercepted each shot with Wilt in a series of fluid motions. Once the bullets stopped, he aimed Blush and returned fire.

Using her Semblance again, a black clone took her place, though Adam did not lose sight of her as she began to run around, avoiding the gunfire. As soon as Adam stopped to reload, she swung her weapon, wrapping the hilt with the black band around her arm to grant her an extension, making Gambol Shroud's gun form a makeshift kusarigama. She then proceeded to toss it, striking at Blush just as Adam had finished reloading it. The sheathe/rifle was knocked out of his hands, sliding across the floor and away from him. Scowling the Bull Faunus fell into a combat stance once Blake pulled her weapon back, shifting it back to its default blade form.

 _'I don't have much Aura left,'_ she thought as she watched for any openings in his form, yet she knew she would find none. He had trained himself to leave not a single flaw in his technique, and if there were any holes, they were far and few between. ' _From the look of it, Adam doesn't have much either. If I can do enough damage, I can end this quickly.'_ Of course, it was wishful thinking at best. Given her current state, she knew that she wouldn't be able to do much...but if there was a chance of stopping Adam, she'd take it. With that in mind, she fell into her own combat stance. Feet spaced apart, blade held diagonally in front of her, and her other hand at the flat of the blade.

Seeing her stance, Adam smiled darkly. "...I haven't seen you use that stance since the last time we sparred," he remarked. "Seems you still think fondly of me, my love..."

"Hard to forget someone who became a monster."

"I had no choice in the matter..." He shook his head. "It's a world where those with power oppress those without it. If humanity treated us as monsters like the Grimm...then we should give them what they want, and make them tremble in fear and regret their actions! Let them be the miserable ones for a change!"

Blake gritted her teeth. "But people can change!" she shouted. "Look at the Black Fang! They accept humans into their ranks, and unlike the White Fang now, they're making a difference! People are accepting the Faunus! And it isn't out of fear! Rouge accepts Faunus, even respects them for how much pain and suffering we go through because of the prejudice, and yet we still keep fighting!" Her grip on Gambol Shroud tightened, and her eyes regained their steely nature, remembering what the White Fang...the true White Fang...once stood for. "Don't you remember what my father once preached?! Power without direction and guided by malice will lead to nothing but misery! Yes, Sienna Khan gave the White Fang power...but all he's done is made people terrified!"

She then acted. Her emotions guided her blade, and clashed with Adam once more.

"I may have left, but that's because I know what my brothers and sisters became!" she growled, her pupils developing cat-like slits. "The White Fang that Sienna Khan made...is not the one that I considered home and family!"

Adam was silent for a moment as if letting the words sink in, his grip on his blade never once wavering. Finally, he spoke. "...So that's the true extent of your resolve, huh?"

Blake met his gaze, head on. "It is," she stated as clear as she possibly could. "I won't allow Sienna Khan...or you!" With a push, both parted, leaping back while readying their blades for another attack. "To ruin the White Fang's name anymore!"

The silence from there on was tense, as was the wait. Both were waiting on baited breath, anticipating each other's movements. The slightest muscle movement would be enough to spur them into action. Adam looked into Blake's eyes, and found nothing but an iron-clad resolve. A will to continue forward. She truly meant every word. Rouge Rose, and the Black Fang, had somehow lit a fire in her. A fire he had not seen since the White Fang's purpose had been tarnished. It was impressive. Yes, there was hardly any doubt. Earlier, her strikes were fierce, but lacked that edge she once had. Now, however, seeing the burning resolve, he was sure.

This was his partner, the daughter of the Chieftan, Ghira Belladonna...Blake Belladonna.

To Blake's surprise, Adam fell out of his combat stance and stabbed his blade into the ground. His hand then went up to his mask, removing it. She was stunned even further when the cold malice and rage she felt earlier, and knew from back then just from the harsh and burning look in those once wonderful eyes of his, had suddenly vanished. All she saw was wonderful pools of bronze yellow, now bearing a calm, yet cold look. He turned his head to the side, and spoke,

"Is this enough, Rouge?"

"Yes, it is. I appreciate your assistance in this, Adam..." Came the familiar voice of Ruby's twin as he stepped out of the shadows. Rather than the face of a kidnapped victim that Blake imagined he would have, Rouge bore an eerily calm expression. A cool smile graced his features as violet and silver eyes bore into Blake's amber ones.

Needless to say, Blake was gaping like a fish. "R-Rouge?!" she gawked, utterly taken aback. "Y-you're okay?!"

"Of course I am," he responded dully, as if he were talking about the weather. "Why wouldn't I be? Although, I do have to say, that was quite the show." He gave a small grin. "That, and now Flaemis owes me 1,000 lien."

Adam sighed, shaking his head. "Idiot," he said in displeasure, giving Rouge the stink eye. "One of these days, that gambling problem will be the death of you."

"If I were to choose between death by gambling or death by violence, I'd much prefer the former."

"Of course YOU would say that. Just so proves how much of an addict you've become."

"Maybe. But unlike most addicts, my gambling actually turns out a lucrative profit. Once you analyze the game and stack the odds in your favor...winning is a simple matter." He shrugged.

Blake watched her former partner and her team leader's twin bicker back and forth, eyebrow twitching.

This...what...how...Just what on Remnant was going on?!

Seeing her look of absolute confusion, Rouge gave a curious glint in his eye. "Something wrong, Blake?"

"...something...wrong?" she said, her shoulders trembling. "Oh...I don't know...how about the fact that you're talking to one of the most violent members of the White Fang?! Or how about the fact that I got a message saying that you were kidnapped?!" Soon, the pent-up confusion became disoriented anger, glaring at the boy. "Since you seem to be fine, how about you explain **_WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON_**?!"

The yell left her partially drained. The day had been quite emotionally exhausting in more ways than one, what with learning the White Fang was working with Roman and having a mental debate of anguish whether or not to reveal her fauna heritage to Weiss and the rest of her team...and now this bombshell drops on her.

Rouge, undisturbed by this, chuckled. "I think it's how it looks," he said simply. "Me and Adam are colleagues."

"A-and how does that work?!" she asked, still confused. "Rouge, you know what the Fang is like, and you-" She stopped when a thought crossed her mind. Something that made her blood run cold. "W-wait...R-Rouge...are you...working for the White Fang?!"

For a moment, she thought Rouge's silence was his answer. The idea was ludicrous, yet the way he spoke with Adam, and how calm the young man was with Rouge, spoke volumes. Even though the idea was crazy. After all, in spite of everything she knew, there was no way this could be true. Soon, Rouge's silence shattered and turned into laughter. "Pft...hahahahAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" The heterochromatic teen cackled madly, having to lean on Adam for support lest he falls over on the ground. He just laughed as if it was the funniest thing in the world, even Adam showed signs of suppressing his own laughter with a few twitches of his lips.

The girl was left baffled by this. He was...laughing?! Did he think she was funny or something?! Eventually, Rouge calmed down. "Hoo boy...that was well needed," he said, his laughter fading before he grinned. "And to answer your question Blake, let me ask a question of my own..."

His grin grew wider.

"...how do you think the Black Fang knew where Torchwick would be?"

The girl's eyes widened as the question registered in her mind. Come to think of it...it did seem a little too convenient for them to appear there of all places to intercept the robbery. "So...that means..."

"Quite surprising, no?" the odd-eyed teen asked as he moved a bit away from the, back facing them but looking over his shoulder, hands in his pockets with an amused smile. "One of the most influential members of the White Fang, as well as pro-Faunus domination on top of that, was actually a mole? Then again, that's what makes him an excellent PIECE."

Adam sighed in annoyance. "Remind me again, who was it that gave me that infuriating name?"

"Take a guess."

"...I'll kill him."

Blake shook her head. "W-wait, stop!" she said, holding up a hand. Her mind was reeling. What...what the hell was she hearing?! She turned to Adam, looking at him in disbelief. "Adam...all of this time...y-you were...?!"

"Not always," he answered, shaking his head. "It was sometime after you left...and when the Fang was forced to cooperate with that woman I told you about earlier. I've been working for the Black Fang for almost half a year now."

If Blake's jaw hadn't dropped to the floor before, it most definitely would've been now. Her former partner...who had been adamant in Sienna Khan's ideals for the White Fang ever since Ghira stepped down...had been working for the Black Fang for almost a year?! But how...why...?

...She's not unconscious right now and perceiving this experience was one vivid, idealistic dream, was she?

"W-why?"

"Because I agreed with Rouge," Adam said, closing his eyes and folding his arms. "At first, I believed humans were the real monsters for everything they did...and I still do. Rouge is the only exception to that, however, because he showed me that there are even worse monsters than the humans who oppress us. Worse monsters than Jacques Schnee."

"Parasites who leech off of the helpless and the weak, regardless of race, gender, or age," Rouge continued, walking further ahead before coming to a stop, lifting his head up. "Corrupt, greedy, malicious people who think of nothing of themselves. That's why me and Adam deal with them. To make this world better. They think of only personal pleasure and bigoted egos and the past, and some even act on the future, but we think of the future. Of what would wait ahead of us at the end of this path. Yes, we've killed people, and we know that blood is on our hands...but we can't stop. For the sake of those who already lost their lives." He turned on his heel, showing a somber, yet serious and cold expression that changed his image completely. What was once a fifteen-year-old boy was now a mature man standing before her, with eyes that showed naught but a cold, harsh fury. "That's why we fight. We don't care how the world sees us, and we're willing to become the enemies of Remnant if need be...for the purpose of creating a new world. One free from the filth of those who taint it."

 _'Blood on his hands...'_

Blake did not miss the meaning of those words. Rouge...had killed someone. Perhaps even more. The mere thought caused her heart to sink. She remembered how Ruby once spoke of how the odd-eyed boy was when he was younger, much more cheerful and vibrant, but changed when their mother had passed away. Was such an event so drastic it caused him to become so...cold? Dark? Whatever the case was, this wasn't just a kid who was trying to be a Huntsman. This was someone who willingly threw his lot in people who took lives for a purpose that was otherwise unsure. A peaceful world built upon the lives of the corrupt? No matter what the cost was? Blake could scarcely imagine what could have went through his mind to make such a decision.

"And...you think you can make a difference?" she asked, saddened. She saw no innocence in those silver and violet eyes. Only something else. Something that did not belong in the eyes of a mere child. "By joining with the Black Fang?"

Rouge's lips curled in amusement. "Now..who said I joined the Black Fang?"

Suddenly, light flooded into her vision, causing her to wince and raise her arm. When her eyes became adjusted, she lowered her arm, and to her utter surprise, she found the upper levels of the warehouse filled with none other than members of the Black Fang. There were several, far more than what she saw back at the cargo bay. Their hoods were down, and their masks gone, revealing the faces of the many men and women, of the many human and Faunus, of the many young and old, who joined the organization. Seeing the staggering number, Blake felt utterly astonished. There were so many, and yet she held the feeling that this was not even all of them. Merely a show or demonstration. She also noticed how all of them looked upon Rouge with admiration, awe, and respect. It was as if the saw something within him. Something powerful to draw themselves toward him. She also noticed the Blue Devil himself by attire alone among their number, only on ground level with her and Rouge and Adam, leaning against the wall with his face exposed, revealing azure blue eyes and a fiery smirk, looking on with anticipation.

"I must say..." Edan chuckled as he pushed off the wall and strode over to them. "...That is one hell of a prelude to the grand performance, Rouge...or should I say... _oh Glorious Leader_?"

In that moment, Blake's stupor faded, replaced with shock that sent her reeling, staring at Rouge with large eyes that threatened to pop from her sockets. The raven-haired twin of Ruby Rose merely smirked back as he turned to her. "You can't change the world without getting your hands dirty, Blake," he told her before extending a hand. "So then..."

His next words sent a cold shiver down her spine, his smile on par with that of the god of darkness himself, and for the briefest moment, she could have sworn she saw an avian sigil burn in his eye.

 _"...how far are you willing to go to change the world?"_

* * *

 **Rehearsal for Anarchy...END**

* * *

 _"If that is to be my fate...so be it." -?_


	9. Epilogue: The Day the Demon was Reborn

_"May dust be brought to dust, but not bring despair, for there is no futility even in death." -Monty Oum_

* * *

 **RWBY: Black Rebellion**

* * *

General James Ironwood and Specialist Winter Schnee, two of the most influential members of the Altesian Military, depending on who you ask. Since the Vytal Festival was in a short couple of months, they were currently en-route to Vale, where it would be hosted this year. Were he speaking personally, Ironwood was both anxious about the visit, as well as a bit excited. It had been a long time since he had come to see his friend, even though it was more of a work-related visit than anything else. That said, as he looked out the window of the VIP car of the express train making its way to the Glacier Resort, he couldn't help but feel slightly apalled. Perhaps Ozpin was rubbing off on him, but his paranoia was starting to rule over him, hence why he gave a small glare at the number of ships he brought with him. A precaution, he referred to it...yet he knew it was entirely unnecessary. Then again, a few of his own troops voiced their agreement, saying a show of force would make anyone who would want to cause trouble during their time think twice.

The purpose behind the visit to the resort was a conference that was being held. A few counsel members from Vacuo and Mistral were coming to discuss the Dust resources. Even in times of peace, Dust was still a highly valuable resource, and whenever a new Dust mine was discovered, there were talks about what to do with them. This, of course, led to his visit. As a representative of Atlas, he was also called for this meeting, while a councilman from from Vale would be unavailable due to his poor health, and thus could only attend via Scroll transmission. One had to admire the politician's dedication to his job. Either way, he wasn't exactly looking forward to this. While he was well-versed in politics, he was more of the person who handled things with a more direct approach. Regardless, he had to attend, one way or another.

"Quite the sight, if only to flaunt Atlas' power," Winter commented, sitting on a comfortable chair opposite to his, holding a steaming cup of tea in her hand. "Though is it necessary?"

"Hardly," Ironwood sighed, reclining in his own seat. "Perhaps Oz is right Maybe I am growing paranoid..." There was a brief pause before he looked up, staring once more back at his fleet with slight trepidation. "Then again, with what I know now, paranoia is more than justified. Our enemy is someone who can strike from the shadows without any warning, and all we can do is just sit and wait for something to happen."

Normally, this sort of information wouldn't be divulged to others, but he worked with Winter long enough to trust her, and Ozpin felt she was more than privy to their secrets. While she was not directly affiliated with their inner circle, she was most definitely regarded as an ally in their ranks. Winter felt the same as him, worried and anxious about simply waiting around for an attack that they had no idea when it would come. It was frustrating, really...but for now, they would wait. Besides, the Vytal Festival was coming up. Surely, their enemy wouldn't dare strike when security would be at its highest?

* * *

Had Blake been told she would be joining the Black Fang, she would have told them they were crazy.

The Faunus-in-hiding gave herself a once over as she looked at herself in the mirror. A black jacket with silver trims sat over her upper half, rolled up to the elbows for her own sense of fashion, while leaving it open to reveal a white shirt partially left open, revealing her abdomen. Underneath the shirt was a black muscle shirt that only hid her breasts, wrapping around her back and below the arms. Below, she wore black jeans with a pouch containing dust cartridges attached to her left thigh, with a slit opening near the hem of the jeans, revealing her ankles, which were covered by her long black boots. Gambol Shroud, as always, sat close to her side. Her bow had been discarded, thus revealing her Faunus heritage to the world. She held the mask of the Black Fang uneasily in her hands, staring at it with conflicting emotions.

The revelation of who Rouge Rose, the twin brother of her team leader, the hyperactive bundle that was Ruby Rose, truly was had shocked her straight to the core. It was hard to imagine that a mere fifteen year old child would be the leader of an infamous group that had been causing more than enough trouble in the world in their attacks on the criminal underworld and the White Fang. She was even more shell shocked when she heard that Adam, her former partner, had been a member for half a year now. When Rouge gave her an offer to join, she felt conflicted and confused. She was hurt that Rouge had withheld this information, though it was not out of personal feelings. At best, she considered them good acquaintances and held a good opinion of him because of how much he respected Faunus. She was more worried about Yang and Ruby. Obviously, he did not tell them about this, and she was worried about what could happen if they were to learn who was hiding underneath that mask.

She was also confused about what he was planning. Yes, she knew what the Black Fang's goal was. To uproot all criminal elements from the world, regardless if the world saw them as just or terrorists in some manner, but she was still unclear what it was that Rouge Rose himself wanted to achieve. She was unsure why she even accepted his offer. Was it to confirm whether or not the Black Fang was just for herself? Was it to find out what Rouge was hoping to achieve by doing all of this? If anything, she was even more confused than ever.

Blake gave another sigh before she realized she had been musing for nearly half an hour, looking at the clock hanging in the wall. Deciding it was time to play along with the tune, she turned and exited the bathroom, stepping into what had been revealed to be their new HQ for the time being. Rouge was thorough, as after each attack, he had their base of operations constantly on the move. What they were inside of now was, well, far more luxurious than what any wealthy man could ever hope to afford. It was a large vehicle with two stories, making it a sort of mobile home, albeit a very expensive one. She recalled that one of the many targets of the White Fang had purchased such an item, and the price was, well...let's just say she knew that money could go a long ways when it came to comfort and security. When she left the bathroom, she found the infamous Blue Devil himself, Edan Flaemis, leaning against the wall next to the door.

"Not a bad look for you, newbie," he said cheerfully, grinning. Now that she thought about it, when wasn't he grinning, smirking, or smiling? Was he just like that or something? "Have to say, you look catching."

Blake rolled her eyes at the obvious flirt. One of the other members warned that he was something of a playboy, chatting up with the girls who caught his fancy, regardless if they were Faunus or humans. Also, it isn't the first time she's had to deal with someone trying to earn her attention, thus she naturally ignored the compliment and instead chose to look at the interior. Even now, it was hard to believe Rouge had the resources to buy something as grand as this. She then turned to Rouge's apparent right-hand man. "How exactly...did Rouge get this?"

"I borrowed it from a rather wealthy businessman," Rouge's voice came up from behind, startling her. She turned to find him emerging from the staircase leading to the second floor, though his leather jacket was nowhere to be seen. He gave a small smile of assurance as he stepped down to the first floor, approaching the two. "Don't worry. There weren't any strings attached."

Her eyebrow rose to her hairline. "You...asked for it?" she inquired in disbelief. "Just like that?"

"If there's one thing you need to know about Leader," Edan told her, chuckling. "It's that he can be QUITE persuasive."

"What do you mean?" Blake couldn't help but ask. Persuasive in what way? That they blackmailed them?...or killed them? Honestly, she doubted it was because of sheer charisma befitting of a leader.

"That...is a story for another time, Blake." Rouge brushed off the question. "An even more important question...are you ready?"

The girl frowned. "Ready for what?"

"Take a look at the tube," Edan gestured to the plasma-screen TV. A few other members were gathered around it, apparently taking the time of reprieve well and decided to relax by watching something. However, an urgent news bulletin was being issued, given that Lisa Lavender was currently on. "It's our next job."

Curious, Blake went over, looking over the shoulder of one of her new comrades, and saw the news. **[Breaking news!]** Lisa Lavender announced. **[We just received reports that Glacier Resort has been overtaken by Terrorists, and its residents held hostage.]**

Blake's eyes widened as the screen showed what appeared to be the resort, which was more or less a giant mesh of towers, three in total, mixed together via walkways and pathways and sitting on a small patch of artificial land over a crystalline lake. In the background were many fleets, all of which appeared to be from Atlas given the obvious marking branded on the hull, and surrounding the hotel was both the Altesian military. Glacier Hotel was located in between the territories of Vale and Vacuo, thus while they could not be called military forces, Huntsmen and Huntresses from the desert region were also present. At the resort were ballistas, turrets, and soldiers. To Blake's shock, they were White Fang. However, rather than the standard white vests, they wore knee-length white coats with torn sleeves.

 **[The Resort was reported to have been taken over by the White Fang. The leader, confirmed to be Rojo Desagra, an ex-Huntsman from Mistral, has made no demands as of yet. Among the hostages are diplomats and politicians, as well as a few members from the councils of the Four Kingdoms. As of yet, there has been no word of any countermeasures.]**

She remembered Rojo. He was another executive that Adam informed her about. He was a cold hearted extremist who wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone who got in his way, be it man, woman, elderly, or child. As long as it would contribute to the greater good of the White Fang, he had no qualms about doing the unpleasant.

In other words, a worse monster than even Adam was, given to what she learned this past week.

* * *

Ironwood knew something was up when he noticed a severe lack of security, given the importance of the conference meeting. If only he acted on his suspicions earlier, then they wouldn't even be in this mess.

The attack came so suddenly and without warning that no one even had time to register what was going on. Several ordinary civilians were killed, unlucky enough to not have their Aura unlocked given their status, and any who were alive were rounded up. They were herded and barred in the ballroom, which was big enough to house at least 300 people max. Ironwood's eyes scanned the area. At the double doors, three guards stood by, armed with rifles. To the side entrances were two more guards, though these were armed with swords rather than a firearm. Circling and watching them on the balconies were six more, these ones equipped with sniper rifles. Taking into account the four guards directly in front of them, bearing down on the guests and politicians and other important figures with tommy guns, the general counted fifteen in total.

Sixteen, he corrected himself, if one was to count the intimidating man standing before them. Rojo Desagra, the leader of the Mistral branch of the White Fang, was a tall and imposing individual, standing at 7 feet and wearing the white coat that belonged to the members of the Mistral WF faction, though unlike the other members, his sleeves were intact, coming down to his elbows while bracers covered the forearms, bearing sharp fins. Underneath the coat was a black vest meant to stop bullets, and black cargo pants with thick heavy combat boots. His face was obscured by the familiar Grimm mask, and like many important figures, this one was specialized, in that it had curled horns, and hid the upper half of his face. The lower half was hidden behind a thin face mask. In his hand was a gigantic sword, bearing a sharp serrated edge, though strangely the edge appeared to be separate from the blade as a whole, instead found inside, implying the sword was hollow, and was more like saw than anything else.

"I am Rojo Desagra," the man growled, his dark green eyes glaring at the people before him with utter loathing and hate. "Of the White Fang. As of this moment, your lives...are now in my hands."

His words instilled anxiety and fear into the civilians, no doubt panicking about being victims in a terrorist attack. James kept himself calm, trying to devise a course of action to ensure their safety. But right now...the chances are dismal at best. Winter looked ready to engage, evident by the willingness in her eyes, but she would only act on his order. Seeing that made the general confident. Now, the only question is...how would they manage to get out of this situation? All exits were blocked, guarded by men who were more than ready to end them, so the chances of causing a distraction in order to escape were pretty much destined to fail.

For now, much to his ire...all Ironwood could do was wait and bide his time.

* * *

"This is quite the conundrum," Peter Port remarked as he and his fellow teachers Goodwitch and Oobleck watched the news from the teacher's lounge, the portly man sitting on a velveteen sofa with a steaming mug in hand, narrowed eyes set into a frown. "If I recall, Vacuo and Mistral were supposed to be having a conference regarding the recently discovered Dust mines, isn't that right?"

Oobleck, ever the avid coffee drinker and historical avarice, took a quick drink from his own mug, pushing up his glasses. "Quite right," he said quickly. "Though if memory serves, I believe James was also there as well, attending as a representative from Atlas. Quite brazen, though, hijacking the Glacier Resort at such a critical time. I wonder, though, how on earth did they manage to get past the security?"

"Indeed," Glynda nodded in agreement, equally as dumbfounded by this fact. "These conferences are in regards to Remnant's most powerful source of energy, after all. And that's not even taking into account the councilmen and politicians and whatnot attending the event." She paused for a moment before a tone of disapproval entered her voice. "And that is not even taking into account the fact that James brought along a fleet of soldiers."

Despite her misgivings, James was actually prepare soft this situation. The only problem? The fleet he brought was unable to do anything without placing the hostages in danger. Ozpin, who had been watching the news, and the only other teacher besides Glynda without coffee in hand, much to one's confusion, was oddly silent. He was pensive, as if pondering something heavily. "What do you make of this situation, Oz?" Port asked curiously, turning to his friend and boss.

"...I believe it to be a dire situation...yet also a strange one. As Glynda stated, it should've been very unlikely for the White Fang to take complete control over the Glacier Resort with James' troops present for the conference. Not only did they bypass the guards and airships, but they successfully slew numerous civilians and taken the rest hostage, including the Kingdom Representatives of the conference." He folded his hands together as he fell deep in thought. :If I were to make a guess...this attack had been coordinated and planned out. It is no secret that a location is announced for a conference a week prior to the event itself. However, it is quite odd how the White Fang were able to quickly able to formulate a plan such as this. Were it just the diplomats and politicians, then this incident would be far less impressive, yet still dire no matter how you view it. And yet...James is among them, with his own fleet present no less. Given that, added to the conference attendants...how do you think this will be considered?"

Oobleck's face turned serious, his glasses drooping to remove the glare in them, showing narrowed eyes. "...it would make the rest of the White Fang cells in the other kingdoms act much more boldly," he answered grimly. "And that is not taking into consideration the ramifications of this incident, provided we take into account the worst case scenario."

"...Everyone within the Resort is killed, including the representatives, and the remaining guards will wage a futile war against the entirety of the White Fang Cell led by Rojo. Things will spiral down to chaos. Tensions between humans and faunus will reach an apex. Humans will scorn Faunus, and more Faunus will join the White Fang in vengeful retaliation. The cycle will continue...potentially invoking another Great War." Port was the one who stated the dismal scenario.

Ozpin nodded solemnly. "Indeed," he mused darkly. "One would think, even in times of peace, we would have some sort of reprieve..."

 _'And yet, we have none,'_ the white-haired man thought with regret, his mind focused on the woman who had been plaguing his life's work for as long as he could remember. _'Not so long as she plagues this world.'_

* * *

Adam wasn't sure whether or not he should condemn Rojo for being a bigoted and arrogant fool, or applauding him for such a situation.

When word reached him and the White Fang here in Vale about the hotel hijacking, there was mostly, if not entirely, roars of excitement and awe that Rojo had accomplished such a feat. It was a mystery as to how the man was able to pull this off without some kind of benefactor, but regardless, the hijacking had more or less thrown Remnant into a potential state of discord. He knew Rojo would not make any demands, he was instead going to make a public execution after making false promises before performing the act before everyone. The former Huntsman, driven by the rage that had consumed him, not by oppression, but by the tragedies that came with it, was now the one who held Remnant at gun point. If he succeeded, public trust would fail, the governments would be facing outrage, blacklash, and then some. And with someone as influential as James Ironwood, a respected general from Atlas, among the attendants...well, it was not hard to imagine what kind of event would take place.

However, the applaud Adam thought of was that because of Rojo's actions...there was a great opportunity. An opportunity that would not be wasted.

 _'Looks like your plans have accelerated, Rouge,'_ he thought, hiding his smirk while his superior - for the time being - watched the events unfold with curiosity in her golden eyes. _'And you have the world as your audience. Now, why don't you show them what an agent of true chaos has in store for this world?'_

* * *

Back at Beacon, many students had gathered in the main lobby on the first floor, watching the news with varied reactions and interests. Among those was Team RWBY, or rather the three members that were present. After the hectic week that involved Ruby and Yang's brother, Rouge, pulling a disappearing act and then suddenly showing back up, saying that he had been thinking about a great many things and met up with Blake along the way, the all-girl squad had lost the earlier dark tension. Weiss was notably a bit more happier...if only because she had managed to settle things with the odd-eyed boy that had been the cause behind her otherwise troubled state earlier.

That said...neither sister of the Rose/Xiao Long family was happy about how peace made between them. At least, how it started.

 _(Flashback, Six Days Ago)_

 _*SLAP*_

 _The sound of a hand smacking flesh had echoed throughout the hallway. It had already passed into nighttime, so the only students present at this time was Team RWBY. Currently, three of the four girls were staring at Weiss in utter shock and disbelief, as in spite of the heiress' calm yet cold face bearing down on Rouge Rose, who held his now stinging cheek with a face of indifference, had performed an action that was otherwise both expected yet shocking all the same. Yang, for her part, wanted to punch Weiss in the face for that, angry that she had hit her brother, even if a part of her felt he deserved it after verbally abusing her the other night while Ruby looked on in horror, expecting this kind of situation to pop up. Blake, meanwhile, looked on with worry about the possibility of continued bad blood. She had just settled things with Weiss, but she did not want another tense situation to arise._

 _"...okay," Rouge said, wincing. He had to admit, she had quite the slap. It hurt just as bad as the time Yang had sucker-punched him in one of their training sessions when they were younger. "I'll admit. I deserved that."_

 _"Yes," Weiss said, her tone even as she folded her arms. "You did deserve it. First of all...let me be perfectly clear on something. I do. Not. Like. You." The words made Ruby and Blake's heart sink even further. The girl's glare was chilling, as they felt the temperature in the hall drop. "However, it is not for what you said the other night." Confusion formed on the faces of the heiress' team, while Rouge quirked an eyebrow. Weiss gave a small sigh, holding a hand to her temple. "In a way...you are right. I was simply making assumptions because of my family's rather...troubled history with Faunus in general. I was ignoring glaringly obvious facts because of that, and I am more than willing to accept those faults."_

 _She opened her eyes, and her glare became all the more scathing._

 _"However..."_

 _She took a step forward, invading her personal space._

 _"...NEVER associate me with Jacques Schnee. EVER."_

 _Her tone of voice was heated and left no room for argument. "I am not like that man...I am my own person. My skewed perceptions may have been derived from my family's history with the Faunus...but I would NEVER stoop down to his level. I have the Schnee legacy to uphold...and a Legacy to repair after what he did after marrying into my family."_

 _With this said, her glare grew to a pitch. "And so I say again...do not compare me to my father."_

 _There was a chilling silence after that. Rouge's face remained set in indifference still, which only made Ruby all the more nervous. Yang was no better, as she half-expected Rouge to once again go into another verbal lashout at the girl. Blake was stunned by Weiss' words, and perhaps a bit touched. It seemed that Rouge's words from earlier seemed to have some sort of effect on her...one she could definitely say was for the better. For a moment, she was sure that she could confess the truth to her friends. She even made up her mind to do so when they returned to their dorm room. Those thoughts, however, did not stop her from worrying about what just might be a bloodbath that would occur at any moment._

 _Then, to her growing surprise (one of many since the revelations she learned an hour ago), the boy smiled. "...well, it's about damn time you actually spoke out your mind instead of talking like an actress on a script."_

 _"...wait, what?" The entire team collectively questioned in shock._

 _"It's as I said," Rouge smirked. "You're no longer some puppet or doll your father molded into for his benefit. Your thoughts are now your own, and not from his biased propaganda towards the Faunus." He then shook his head. "However...actions speak louder than words...so you're going to have to prove it to me by taking action, Miss Schnee."_

 _The all-girls team stared at him in utter shock, barely able to form a word. All of this...the antagonistic behavior...the verbal lashout from last night...all of that...was just to get her to act like this?! Needless to say, the sisters and Blake were speechless. However, to the Faunus-in-hiding, it was just yet another surprise in a growing list. Just how many times does he intend to shock her? Weiss finally snapped out of her stupor, a heavy blush on her cheeks before she gave a humph, turning away and crossing her arms. "F-fine! I'll prove to you I'm better than my father!"_

 _"Looking forward to it," Rouge grinned. "Ice Queen."_

 _"DON'T CALL ME THAT!"_

 _(End of Flashback)_

True to Blake's mental promise, she had revealed the whole truth to her team after they returned to their dorm room once they bid Rouge farewell. She revealed her true race as a Faunus, and her previous affiliation with the White Fang. The girls were surprised, and for a moment Blake was worried that they would shun her. Weiss seemed to be absorbing the information and trying to decide how to best deal with it, though much to the cat girl's dismay, Yang's way of answering was to fondle her ears.

What? They looked so adorable~! And so was the way she purred (she does NOT purr!)~

When the girl saw the news, they immediately became concerned and worried about the lives at stake, though Weiss was glaring at the man, Rojo Desagra, with the utmost disdain. "Yeesh," Yang remarked, noticing her stare. "You know, Weiss, if looks could kill, that guy would be dead a hundred times over. I thought you were over your hate for the White Fang."

"I am," she responded curtly. "I'm simply disgusted that they would take advantage of a conference and take lives hostage. Plus, I've heard a bit about Desagra from my sister. He's caused more than enough grief for several families, including the Schnee Dust Corporation."

"I hope things will be okay," Ruby whimpered, hoping that some awesome and heroic Huntsmen would storm in and take down the White Fang Mistral Branch all by themselves, or the army pulled a beautiful art of deception and attacked the guys when they least expected it. "Why isn't anyone doing anything though?"

"It is a delicate situation," her partner explained. "Rojo has several important figures hostage. One wrong move, and-"

 **[Wait, what's this?!]** Lavender's surprising exclamation earned much more attention, cutting off Weiss' words as she turned. The camera was recording the rooftop, where a White Fang officer was roughly pushing a man close to the edge. **[They're taking a hostage to the roof! What are they planning?!]**

It didn't take a genius to figure out what was about to happen. Ruby's heart fell as her eyes widened. "No!" she cried, startling some of the people around her. "Don't do it!"

However, her words meant nothing. As soon as the hostage was right at the edge, the White Fang officer pulled out his sidearm, and shot him, sending him straight over the edge.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Ruby screeched in horror, pulling her hood over her eyes as if trying to block out what she just witnessed.

Everyone could only watch in horror as they saw the poor man fall to his death.

* * *

 **[Our demands have gone unmet, it seems,]** Rojo Desagra said, having delivered a transmission to the news reporters and all but demanding that they broadcast it. After seeing the action earlier, Blake's knuckles turned white from how hard her clenched fists were. **[Therefore...for every half our that passes, we will kill one hostage. Failure to comply with our demands any further, and, well...]**

The threat lingered in the air before the transmission was cut off. While Lisa Lavender and another news anchor was reporting, many of the Black Fang were outraged by the horrid actions Rojo Desagra had committed on live television.

"THAT BASTARD!" The Racoon Faunus hurled the remote at the television in anger. "Failure to comply...he's just killing them for the heck of it!"

The Wolf Faunus looked equally as enraged as her thieving comrade. "He doesn't have any intention of letting them walk free," she snarled. "Once they agree to his demands, he'll kill them in front of everyone!"

Blake said nothing, in contrast to the others, who stared at the screen with fierce, rage-filled eyes. Rojo was as every bit a horrible, despicable monster as Adam told her. It was as the girl said - Rojo Desagra had no intention of allowing them to leave. Her mind raced to her friends back at Beacon. Were they seeing this as well? Gods, was RUBY seeing this? Out of concern, she looked at Rouge, who stared at the screen with his eyes narrowed at the screen. It was hard to tell what was going on in that mind of his. Then again, it was hard to understand what would drive a fifteen year old boy to start a resistance movement against both the criminal element and oppression and lump both concepts unto a single battlefield. Behind her, Edan sighed, shaking his head. "Dumbass," he muttered. "That Desagra guy really screwed the pooch now. If he kills everyone there, Faunus everywhere are gonna get a whole lot of hell for this."

"...indeed," Rouge said in agreement, speaking up. He looked to the members of the Black Fang. "That's why...I believe it's time for a proper introduction." Everyone gave him a puzzled look, especially Blake. What had he meant by that? Edan seemed to understand, as he developed a look of excitement. "Pack your gear. We're heading to the Glacier Resort. Edan, does Lavernius still owe you that favor?"

"Oh, you bet your ass he does," the Blue Devil answered with a grin so wide it looked to threaten to break his mug in half. "Shall I give him a call?"

"Please do," the odd-eyed teen nodded. He then turned to the Wolf and Racoon Faunus. "Hyain, Goe, see if you can hack into the broadcast system. If we're going to do this, well...may as well make it a damn good performance, no?"

The racoon, Hyain, grinned, giving his boss a thumbs up while Goe smirked, an evil glint dancing in her eyes. Meanwhile, Blake was stunned. He...was actually going through with this? He was going to save everyone? That was suicide! Even if he managed to procure a fast means of transporation to traverse the vast distance between where they were at now and the Glacier Hotel, which was smack dab in between the oceanic territories of Vale and Vacuo, trying to get into the place was going to be next to impossible!

"W-wait, hold on," she voiced her doubts, though felt a bit awkward when eyes fell on her in curiosity. She swallowed the lump in her throat. "A-are you sure about this, Rouge? I mean, I get it, we're far better equipped than your average resistance, but-"

"You're wrong." His voice cut her off sharply, causing her to flinch as his gaze bore into her. "We're not a resistance cell. Yes, we are murderers, liars and thieves, but we are not like the corrupted filth that prey on the weak and leave them for dead, Blake. Who we are...what we are trying to be..."

He held out a hand, clenching it into a fist.

"...are knights of justice."

* * *

Two hours had passed since the first prisoner had been escorted. Ironwood didn't need to know what happened to the man, given that the following four hostages were also escorted with a half-hour interval between each other. They were obviously executing them, which meant that the military had yet to give into Rojo's demands. A smart move on their part, given that Rojo had no obvious motive to keep them alive other than the satisfaction of knowing he had the military in the palm of his hand. By making them grovel to his will, he was practically mocking them, and would shame them further by executing everyone before them.

"Sir," Winter whispered. "What should we do?"

The general did not have an answer. It was a tight situation, especially since the group of hostages was slowly becoming more and more fraught with unease and panic. At this rate, things would no doubt go to hell quickly. His eyes trained as a guard passed by the crowd. One of the hostages, a civilian - a twelve year old girl at that - suddenly cowered as he passed by, clinging to her father. "A F-Faunus," she whimpered in fear.

It was the wrong thing to say, as when the guard heard it, his face turned livid red. "What did you say, you brat?!"

"N-no! Stop!" The girl cried, but the man's grip was like iron. No matter how much she struggled, he refused to let go.

"Let my daughter go!" the father pleaded as he tried to get up, only for another guard to pin him down with his foot, and aim his gun at his head. "P-please! She didn't mean it! I swear!"

"It doesn't matter, human!" the Faunus guard snarled. "You should be thankful that it'll be painless!"

"N-NO! STOP! I BEG OF YOU!"

 _'...enough,'_ a small voice echoed in the back of his head. In seconds, it rose to greater volume. _'This has gone on long enough.'_

Hands clenched, and teeth gritted, Ironwood stood up, causing Winter's eyes to widen. Before she could stop him, he raised his voice. "Unhand that girl this instant," he all but demanded, causing everyone to look at him. "Otherwise I guarantee you, this will get ugly."

Every WF guard in the room raised their guns at him, eyes bearing anger at the brazen impudence. However, the fact that they did not recognize him instantly was good. It gave the element of surprise in a sense. After all, him being named a representative of Atlas was made last minute, so the info wouldn't have been disclosed yet. This would, at the very least, give his troops some time.

"Who the hell are you?!" the one that held the girl in his hand demanded, dropping her to the floor. He ignored her as she scrambled to her father, who held her tightly, afraid to let her go again.

Ironwood's gaze did not falter. "I want to have a chat with Rojo Desagra."

"What?! Who the hell do you think you-"

"My name is James Ironwood, of the Altesian Military," he stated clearly, causing everyone to stare at him in shock. "And I'll ask one more time...I want an audience with Desagra!"

* * *

Elsewhere, at an unknown location, there sat a luxurious mansion, sitting at the edge of a cliff which overlooked the flowing waves of the ocean. Though the night had begun to descend at the Glacier Resort, the time zone was different here, as the sky was still a brilliant orange, and the sun beginning to dip into the horizon. The mansion looked every bit as expensive as its furniture. White walls, however plain they may be, refurbished wooden stools, chairs and tables were situated throughout the manor. There were a few portraits that could be found, the most prominent being the one that sat atop the grand staircase that led to the second floor, which was directly in view of one's sight should they enter the mansion's doors. It depicted an exquisite piece, however morbid. It showed a figure garbed in black, bearing a high-collar cape and black metal mask over their face, running a purple sword through a man garbed in white, who bore a peaceful smile even after being impaled on the blade, a bloody hand caressing the mask.

In what could be considered the living room, two individuals could be found, watching the news displayed on the TV screen, the latest model one might add, which only showed the vast amount of wealth these two owned. The first was male, dressed in a professional tuxedo, though it more resembled the outfit of a butler. He wore a black dress jacket over a pristine white shirt with a purple ribbon tied around the collar, and over the hands were tight-fitting black gloves, which showed off his incredibly thin fingers, which appeared delicate yet refined, holding them behind his back. Below were dress pants, completely with slick black formal shoes. He appeared to be in his mid-to-late twenties, possessing a sharp chin and nose with cool purple eyes, and neatly styled purple hair. The second was female, who sat leisurely in the sofa the man stood next to.

"...are you certain of this, Mistress?" the butler inquired curiously. "I understand that this is to replicate events that gave birth to the man who so rightfully earned your interest, but...what if he does not act? We paid a good amount of money to pay off the security detail, after all." He gave a tired sigh, shaking his head before giving his master a disappointed, yet well-mannered glare. "It will be hard to replace 2.5 billion lien."

"Not to worry..." The woman waved off the concern. "Knowing that man...this is an opportunity he absolutely couldn't resist."

Even so, the butler looks unconvinced, but regardless trusted his master to know what she was doing.

* * *

"Alright boys and girls, you know the plan~" Edan chirped as the rest of the Black Fang officers finished prepping their gear. "We're heading in from the underground maintenance tunnels, and working our way up. We take down any and all White Fang goons while setting up some FD-Explosive Charges. If the info Goe got us is right, the hostages are in the ballroom on the twenty-fifth floor. They cut all electricity, so sadly, we're walking. Keep your comms on at all times. Everyone got that?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Good, cause I ain't explaining it twice," Edan nodded.

Blake was half-listening half-in-shock. Then again, you couldn't really blame her, given how they even got here in the first place. _'We're riding,'_ she thought, the words in her head echoing as if she was making sure that this was real somehow. _'In...a submarine...'_

She rarely got the chance to ride on such a vehicle, mainly due to her lack of missions involving one. Even so...it doesn't change the fact that the Black Fang had a submarine. Just where did Rouge get the money to purchase this! It was a state of the art built for military combat!

 _'First that luxury mobile base, and now this!'_ she cried in her mind, still reeling from the ungodly amount of money that was probably spent for both vehicles. _'Just where does he get this kind of money?!'_

Now that she thought about it...where was Rouge, anyway? When Edan snapped her out of it, telling her to come up with them, she immediately followed. They exited the sub and entered a large, open space resembling a tunnel. If she remembered right, the maintenance tunnel was primarily used to make deliveries and repairs, though after a work accident while repairing damages to it done years ago, it was left abandoned, and the resort was remodeled so that it could take deliveries and transports and whatnot up above on the main road that would normally be used to receive guests. She went over the briefing in her head, confused about a few details.

 _'Why do we need FD-Explosives?'_

Fire Dust Explosive Charges, or simply FD-Explosives, were powerful explosive devices on par with that of C4, which was rarely ever used these days, due to the more potent effect and cost-efficient usage of Fire Dust. One member carried the explosives in a bag, no doubt the demolitions expert, but it still confused her. What were they planning with such deadly firepower? Were they thinking of taking down the building? Why? For what purpose? It was infuriating not knowing, but she was also curious about where Rouge was. Without realizing it, she and the Black Fang had reached the twelfth floor before they came to a stop. Edan hid around the corner, peering his head out.

"How many?" someone asked.

"Six," Edan answered. "Four with rifles, and two with swords." He turned to Blake, who snapped out of her thoughts when she saw the Blue Devil look at her, and felt her back straighten. "So, kitty-cat...how fast can you run?"

"Don't call me that." She glared before responding. "And pretty fast. Why?"

"Think you can incapacitate all those guards without alerting the others?"

Blake moved a bit closer, looking at what she was dealing with. It was just as Edan said. There were six soldiers, four armed with rifles, the other two with swords. A pair of riflemen were stationed on either side of the door, while the remaining four patrolled along the corridor. Blake readied her Gambol Shroud. She looked at how wide the space of the hallway was, what laid in between her and the guards, and their movements. _'Even if I manage to take out the closest one, I won't be able to get even one foot closer to the others before they spot me,'_ she thought. _'If I used my semblance, I could probably take down one or two more, but the others will raise the alarm.'_

"So," one of the members inquired. "Can you do it?"

"I can knock out two or three," she answered truthfully. "But the others will notice me."

Edan smiled. "At least you know your limits," he said, patting her on the shoulder before grinning. "And don't worry about the last couple of guards. I can handle them." Blake gave a nod, and the two prepared, waiting for one of the guards to get as close as possible. They shared a look. "Ready, kitty-cat?"

"Ready," she said, momentarily ignoring that nickname. She was starting to understand how Weiss felt.

"Then let's move!" Obeying the order, Blake dashed in.

As soon as she dashed out, she rushed forward and slammed her hilt straight into the first grunt's stomach, knocking the wind out of him before delivering a roundhouse kick to the side of his head, smashing him into the wall and knocking him out like a light. Swiftly, she changed her weapon into gun form, wrapping a black band around the barrel before tossing it, knocking out the weapons in her targets' hands. Before they had a chance to register what was happening, she used her semblance to give her an additional boost, the shadow clone throwing her forward. In mid-air, she angled her body just right so her feet would slam into them. When she reached her targets, her boots slammed straight into their faces, and were sent crashing to the ground. She looked up, and saw that the remaining three guards were now at full attention, realizing what was happening. When they saw her jacket and mask, their faces fell into disbelief and panic.

"The Black Fang?!" one shouted. "Fuck!" He turned to one of is comrades. "Sound the alarm!"

Behind her, Blake felt intense heat burning, a somewhat pleasant warmth washing over her. "Sorry pal," Edan apologized. "But can't have you spoiling the surprise. Newbie, duck!"

Blake did as she was told. She dropped to the ground and as she did, a wave of azure flames flew above her and crashed into the white fang grunts. They were thrown into the air, only to hit the ground in a flopping manner, their bodies slightly burnt. Blake's eyes widened, though to her relief, she heard them groaning. Even though she had joined the Black Fang, she still felt...uncomfortable with killing her former allies. She turned to see Edan sheathe his sword, gesturing for their comrades to come out. "All clear," he said. "Come on, let's move. Leader wants us to have the hostages out in twenty minutes."

"About that," Blake said, frowning. "Why do we have explosives? I mean, it isn't like we're going to blow up the resort...right?"

"Oh, we most definitely are." Edan answered without missing a beat.

For a while, Blake didn't say anything. However, the look she gave the man behind her mask was intense. "...why?"

"You'll understand soon enough, kitty-cat," Edan said, smiling still before moving past her. "Now come on, we got civvies to save."

Blake wanted to question him further, but she was stopped by one of the other officers. "Look...I know things may seem...extreme...but Edan and our Leader are not idiots...well, our Leader certainly isn't. They know what they're doing."

She would have argued further, but in the end, she sighed, choosing to follow her new allies towards their current objective. _'Just who in the world are you, Rouge?'_ she thought of the question that had been plaguing her all week. _'And just what are you planning...?'_

* * *

"Move it, old man."

Ironwood kept silent throughout the whole trip. Though he was not handcuffed, or armed as much as he would have liked to be, the White Fang guards were more than rough with him. Every chance they had, they would shove him roughly, and made sure to make him remember who had a gun. Honestly, he was more concerned about the hostages. His actions might have bought some time...but how much? 'I must be growing soft if I willingly decided to hand myself over to the enemy,' the general thought, noticing the irony. 'If Oz heard about this, he'd be laughing.' In fact, he was sure his old friend was watching what was happening. There was no way he couldn't. He wouldn't be surprised if everyone was. The situation was quite serious after all.

All he could hope was to find a way to resolve this somehow. Rojo may not be willing to reason, and the general knew he would kill everyone, but there might be a way to find some sort of solution that would guarantee at least a few lives would be saved. Soon, they reached what looked to be the entrance to the luxury suite at the top of the resort. "Try anything funny, and we fill you with holes, _general_ ," one of the mooks sneered. Ironwood remained unfazed, bracing himself for a meeting. One of the guards then opened the door. "Boss! We have-"

His words fell short when they saw the state of the suite.

True to the name 'luxury suite,' it was larger and far prettier than most. Lavished furniture with a maroon love seat, a large TV screen, an in-door pool just outside the window, and even a kitchen, which would be fully stocked with food. However, since the White Fang took it over, it was obviously a mess. Walls were slashed and hacked with blood splattered, and the owner of the suite's corpse already removed. The sliding glass door was utterly shattered, furntiture was overturned, and the TV smashed. All were signs of a struggle. Inside that room were four individuals, three of which were dead...and those three were White Fang. One was slumped against the wall, holding a gun in his hand while a blood splatter was sprayed across the wall, next to his head. Another had blood stains pouring down his body, his neck showing a cut directly over his jugular. The most shocking sight was Rojo Desagra himself...with his saw-blade impaled straight through his chest, both hands on the grip.

In the old days of Mistral, warriors who swore service to the nobles once held a bizarre yet awing way to uphold their honor. By swearing service to their lords, they would fight for them and only them. If they failed to do this, they would hold steadfast to their honor and commit suicide -senpaku, Ironwood believed it was called. Rojo was a former Huntsman from Mistral, so it was not bizarre to think that he would know about the country's old history. However, that did not make the sight even more strange than it was, much less shocking. Why on earth would a man who was going to kill everyone once he shamed the military commit suicide?

"S-Sir!"

"Calm yourselves," the fourth occupant of the room said, earning their attention. "Rojo Desagra and his men realized the futility of their actions, so they killed themselves."

The fourth occupant of the ruined sweet was most definitely not with the White Fang. His clothes were far too bizarre yet extravagent to be considered among their ranks. Ironwood knew the individual was male because of the slim physique, as well as the obvious male voice that was filtered and bearing a metallic echo, no doubt to make intimidation. He wore a slim purple suit reminiscent to that of a tuxedo with golden trims, the collars tucked into a reverse position and holding a cravat at the neck, as if marking him with a sense of nobility or elegance. Covering the majority of his body was a black cape that wrapped around him like the wings of a bat, falling past the knees and ending at the calves. In hand, he wielded a custom-made sword that vaguely resembled a rapier, given how slim the blade blade it held was, and a barrel attached to the flat-end, marking it as a sword/gun type. The most defining piece would no doubt be the black mask that covered his whole head; a purple orb in the center, gazing back with an eerie sense of dread to any who saw it with a golden insignia resembling a bird in mid-flight found beneath it, wings stretching around the orb. It held several prongs, attached to sections of the mask that wrapped around to the back of the head, granting the mask a semblance of a crown-like piece.

"Well who the hell are you?!" The guards demanded as they trained their guns on the sole living occupant of the room, momentarily forgetting about the General.

"My name...is Zero." The figures voice boomed, not at all perturbed by the being at gunpoint.

Ironwood narrowed his eyes. 'Zero?' he questioned. 'As in, nothing?'

Before the White Fang grunts aim their weapons at him to end him, they suddenly found their weapons shot out of their hands. Surprised, the general looked to his surroundings, and found three individuals, all wearing black jackets and masks similar to that of the White Fang, only ebony in color. He recognized them easily, and immediately, he knew who Zero was.

This...was the leader of the Black Fang.

"General James Ironwood," Zero's voice spoke, earning his attention. Ironwood turned back to him, noticing that his gaze had settled on him while the White Fang grunts were being restrained. "One of the most influential members within the Altesian Military, on top of the most decorated officer in Remnant. You gave yourself up to protect the hostages...how interesting."

"I did what I had to." Ironwood answered calmly, trying to discern the man's motives. "I refuse to let anyone else be killed at the hands of these terrorists."

"How noble..."

Ironwood cautiously stepped inside the suite, keeping his eyes on Zero while bracing himself for anything. He was an unknown, and as far as Ironwood knew, unknowns were hard to pin down. "So tell me, Zero," he said slowly. "You've kept yourself hidden all of this time. You've never shown yourself, not once, no matter how many raids the Black Fang had taken. Why choose to reveal yourself now?"

"An opportune moment," Zero answered back, holstering his blade and letting his arm hang to the side. "To make my declaration to the world."

An eyebrow rose to his hairline. "Declaration?"

"Let me ask you something, General," Zero turned his head, gesturing to the dark night out the window. "When you look at Remnant, what do you see?"

The General did not know why he asked him this...but decided to play along. "...I see four Kingdoms living in times of peace, training the next generation of Huntsmen and Huntresses to combat the Grimm. However...lives are still lost every day in villages and settlements on the outskirts of the Kingdoms, where they lack complete protection from the Grimm or bandits. And even then...there are underlying threats greater than either one..."

"A good answer," the masked leader of the Black Fang said. "But not the correct one." Ironwood looked at the man, curious. "This world is twisted. Yes, settlements and kingdoms suffer from the threats of the White Fang and Grimm, but there's also danger inside the walls that protect them. People who prey upon the weaknesses of others, believing that those priveleged with power can rule and decide what to do with the lives of the helpless. All the while, those with the power who can help the weak do nothing, choosing to instead allow events to unfold in their favor."

There was a pause before his next words made Ironwood's blood run cold.

"...just like Ozpin."

Ironwood was about to interject, but Zero continued. "And don't think I don't know what I'm talking about. I know very well about this little game of his. How he uses everyone, including his own students like pieces on a Chess board, all for the greater good. But you know what they say...'the road to hell is paved with good intentions'. Especially when it comes to him fighting against that little opponent of his in this game..."

"And can you call yourself any better?" the Altesian general rebuked, glaring at the masked man. "From my perspective, you believe the Black Fang is doing good in this world."

"I don't claim to be a saint," Zero shook his head. "Or that I believe my actions are just. That is perspective. However, compared to Ozpin, at least I make sure my plans succeed. Can you say the same of him, given how he let the Fall Maiden allow her power to be taken?" The general's eyes widened. "Yes, I know of the Fall Maiden, and I am also aware how someone else has taken that power for themselves. Rather than use more sure methods to ensure Amber Autumn's safety, he instead sent only a single Huntsman to watch over her...and you saw the results. And now he wants to find a replacement to take her place in a dangerous game." Though Ironwood could not see past the mask, he could tell Zero's face was sent in a look of hate. "Men like that, who foolishly believe they're actions are just, are what make this world twisted, clinging to a concept that can't support the world any longer."

"And you believe you can do better?" Ironwood couldn't help but scowl. "You're clearly making yourself to be an enemy here, Zero. I can tell you this, whatever you hope to accomplish will be short-lived if you make an enemy of the Four Kingdoms."

Zero couldn't help but chuckle. "Perhaps," he agreed with the man. "However, for the sake of the world I seek to create...I am prepared to walk the path of blood, and throw this world into chaos." He raised his hand, snapping his fingers. Before Ironwood could try and understand the action, he suddenly found his world going dark as a Black Fang officer rammed the butt of his gun into his skull, knocking him out and letting his body fall to the ground. Zero turned to the officer, who saluted back at him. "Have Flaemis and Belladonna retrieved the hostages?"

"Yes, sir!" the soldier nodded. "They're readying the boats as we speak."

"Excellent," Zero smiled beneath the mask before he tapped the side of the metal facade. "Hyain, it's me. It's time to begin."

* * *

 **[It has been five hours now, since Rojo Desagra and the White Fang have taken over the Glacier Resort,]** Lavender reported while the world of Remnant watched tensely. **[And so far, since the fifth hostage was executed, none have been taken to the roof. Currently, there is no new developments, and word about the hostages is still unknown at this time.]**

The world was in a tense state as the citizens of all the Kingdoms watched the new report with morbid interest. After the fifth execution, no more had taken place. This grabbed the attention of the viewers. Had something happened? What happened to the hostages? Questions and theories flew around like flies. In conversations. Social media. Everything.

At Beacon, the teachers, headmaster, and Team RWBY looked on with worry.

At the hideout of those who plotted behind the scenes, Cinder Fall, the White Fang Vale Branch and Adam Taurus looked on with curiosity.

At the mansion, the butler and his mistress looked on with interest.

Everyone looked on with anxiety.

Though minutes clocked by, nothing happened. The situation remained tense, like a powder keg ready to explode at any minute. All eyes were here at this very moment.

And it was here that one single individual would make his declaration.

It started without warning. There was no sign of it anywhere, not even a whisper of such a thing being remotely possible. Before the world, the Glacier Hotel broke apart at the bottom, black smoke teaming with lashing red flames that burned and cracked and broke away, consuming the building.

As it did, chaos spread in its wake. The viewers were stunned for various reasons. Did the White Fang perform a suicide bombing? What about the rest of the hostages? And more questions buzzed around.

But for one, silver eyed girl, her visage was shifted into one of sheer horror.

Once more, she pulled her hood over her head, unable to watch this even further. Yang pulled her closer to her, holding her in comfort while Weiss lowered her head in sorrow. Others were horrified, unable to comprehend the level of such an action. Cinder merely laughed, finding it hilarious that Rojo would decide to kill everyone inside, including himself. Adam, however, was fully aware of what truly laid in wait, as did the butler's mistress, as both individuals were smirking.

Their smirks only grew when the broadcast suddenly turned to static.

"The hell?!" someone watching the news cried. "What happened?! Turn the news back on!"

"What's the point?" another asked somberly. "We already know what happened."

It took several minutes before the broadcast was resumed...only it was from a different angle, and showing an unreal, and mystifying sight.

"People of Remnant...have no fear. I return your loved ones, unharmed."

To prove the strange voice's statement, the camera was pointed at the lake surrounding the Resort, showing all of the remaining hostages alive and well, floating away from the disaster on life rafts. Among those found were those staying at the hotel, the politicians and diplomats...even General Ironwood, who was found holding his head in hand with Specialist Winter Schnee.

However, while the attention was brought to the survivors...most of it was directed to the individual before them, bearing an intimidating black mask with a purple orb in the center glaring back at the entire audience watching the news, and a black cape wrapped around him.

"I am...Zero," the masked figure introduced himself. "People of Remnant, we are...the Black Fang."

Suddenly, spotlights flooded light behind him, revealing several individuals, all wearing black attire with masks hiding their faces. They all stood behind him in a reverse V-formation, with him leading the group. Despite their attire, the viewers were able to see the unique animal traits amongst half of their numbers, distinguishing them as Faunus.

They all stood proud and at attention, as if making their individual presence known to the world.

"We of the Black Fang stand for those who have no weapons to wield, be them human or Faunus!" Zero declared with fervor, his voice proud and strong while making his declaration. "The White Fang cowardly took innocent civilians hostage, and then mercilessly executed them. It was a wanton and meaningless act, therefore they have been punished accordingly. We cannot standby and allow such cruelty to be carried out, and so we made Rojo Desagra and his men pay for his actions!"

* * *

"What the hell is going on?!" the director of a news station demanded, outraged by what was happening. "How did they hijack the airwaves?!"

"W-we don't know!" a tech member stammered. "But we can't shut off the signal! Its being broadcasted everywhere!"

* * *

"Ho~ That was fast," Goe remarked as she typed away on her monitor. As per Zero's orders, she was to hijack every airwave on the big screen and broadcast the Black Fang's message all across Remnant. Already, a few stations had managed to get back their airwaves, as she saw a few icons that represented a hijacked airwave vanish. "Good response." A fierce grin formed on her face as her tail began to wag wildly. "Too bad~"

With a push of a key, a number of icons popped up on the screen...all over Remnant.

"I win~"

* * *

"We will not repudiate battle on a fair and level field, but neither will we tolerate a one-sided massacre of the weak by the strong." Zero continued with immense stride. "The only ones who should kill are those who are prepared to be killed!"

* * *

The moment Zero made his appearance known to the world, he had immediately garnered Cinder's attention.

Just who was this masked man? And how did he manage to overtake the White Fang stationed at the resort, as well as save the remaining captives?

His manner of speaking, the demonstration he was giving, the way he spoke...

 _'This is all just one big performance to him.'_

It was like the entire raid on the Resort was just a big preparation for this debut. Without her realizing, a smile was brought to her face. A smile of excitement. It seemed that a new player had entered the chess board...one that could prove to be utterly...fascinating.

* * *

"Wherever oppressors use their power to attack those who are powerless, we shall appear again, no matter how mighty, how formidable our foe may be!"

* * *

"Who the heck is this guy?" Yang asked, frowning. "Some kind of clown or something?"

"Yaaaang!" Ruby whined. "How can you say that?! He saved everyone! If anything, the costume makes him look like one of those cool anti-heroes! Y'know, like Red Hood!"

"Ruby. That's a comic book character. This is reality." Weiss scolded lightly. "...but I won't deny the fact that he saved everyone..."

Even still, she could not shake this feeling of trepidation. Who in the world was this person? How did he manage to save the attendants and guests at the Glacier Resort? Moreover...why did his words sound so...familiar? This was the first she had heard the man speak, yet somehow, the way he spoke was familiar, as if she had seen it before.

* * *

From where she stood, among the many number of humans and Faunus of the Black Fang, her eyes trained on Rouge...or rather, on Zero, who stood before the world stage. Since she joined, she could not understand what went through his mind, what drove him...yet now, she understood. Through this action, which would bring the world's eyes to him and remember his declaration, she now understood what he sought. His words from when he made her his offer echoed in her memories, showing the resolution behind them.

 _'So that's it,'_ she thought, both in amazement and in sadness. _'You're willing to make yourself an enemy to everyone to accomplish your goal.'_

"Those of you with power, fear us!" Zero shouted at the top of his lungs, swinging his left arm out. Then his right arm. "Those of you without it, rally behind us!"

'Rouge...what is it that drives you to make yourself an enemy? Moreover...how far are you willing to go?' Blake closed her eyes somberly. Then, she made her decision. Ruby knew nothing about this - about Rouge donning this mask. Perhaps it was better that way. She knew Yang would be more than concerned and angry, but Ruby...she'd be devastated and heartbroken to see what kind of path her brother was setting himself on. If he was willing to go down this path, without any concern over his own safety, for the sake of making a better world, no matter the cost, and no matter whom he may face...she would stand by him.

It was the least she could do.

"We, the Black Fang..."

Zero's voice rose even higher as he made his declaration known to all - the Headmaster of Beacon, who's eyes narrowed dangerously at the man on the screen. The Altesian General, who's eyes locked on him with a scowl. Cinder Fall, who watched this declaration with intrigue, curiosity, interest and fascination, wondering just what sort of new changes this single individual would bring to this otherwise set game her master had set up. The woman who hid herself in the shadows, who smiled upon seeing her prized pupil finally set himself upon his path towards carnage. Edan, who smirked, reveling the chaos that his leader would bring forth to this world for the sake of a new world. The silver-eyed girl, who's eyes lit up with stars, practically cheering the man on in spite of his proclamation earlier. The woman behind the curtain of the world, who glared at Zero's image through the ball of the Seer, unsure of what this wild card had in store for the world.

The world, who waited on baited breath...and unaware of the change that it would soon be facing.

 _ **"SHALL BE THE ONES TO STAND IN JUDGEMENT OVER THIS WORLD!"**_

* * *

 **The Day the Demon was Reborn...END**

* * *

The "end"?

...

...

...

 **D O N ' T  
B E T  
O N  
I T**

* * *

"... _c'est magnifique_."

That was all the praise the butler could muster. Truly, he had never seen such a magnificent performance before. He had seen the rise and fall of many who would otherwise seek to create a new change within the world, yet their revolution had always failed horribly, in one way or another. However, compared to those men, Zero had demonstrated something they had never shown before: strength, ambition, and the resolve to change this world. Perhaps all before him had that latter trait, but he had something to make up for it. Something which eluded even himself. He liked to believe he was excellent at reading people, determining what they were good at simply by their posture, and how they would react in certain situations based on personality and belief, and what could cause them to fall simply by gazing into their very eyes, diving to the depths of their inner souls.

However, for once, he was met with a man who he, for the life of him, could not see what this person was truly like. No matter how hard he tried, he could not pry open the seal on the lid that hid his very character.

Now, the butler understood his master's fancy in the boy.

"I see now why you've taken such an interest in the young man," he said, giving his mistress a brim smile. "Though I must confess, I am curious...where did you learn of him? All you've told me is that he is of the same ilk as the man who had changed the world."

His mistress gave him a coy smile. Even now, he felt his heart skip a beat, and barely managed to keep his face from flushing. The pure white kimono she wore, coupled by the sakura petal designs on them, had brought forth a stunning sense of serenity and presence to her, adding to her already mysterious allure. Her perfect, creamy white skin shined on the dim light of the falling sun, lime green hair curving on her cheek as she rested her chin against her knee, rich butter yellow eyes giving him a look of amusement. "A witch never reveals her secrets," she teased him, making him sigh.

What a tease she was.

The woman then turned her attention back to the frozen image of the mask of Zero, eyes narrowing dangerously, like a cat homing on its prey, and a strange smile, neither hostile or kind, making its way to her face. "Honestly, how long must you make a woman wait for you?" she asked, as if speaking to the individual. "Then again, that's just like you, isn't it?"

She giggled, and then a look of nostalgia formed over her face, her smile growing ever wider.

"...welcome back, _Lelouch._ "

* * *

 _"As of this moment...the world belongs to me!" -Lelouch vi Britannia_


	10. Preview of Act II

_**The world is a chessboard.**_

Roman raised a curious eyebrow as he leaned forward. "Okay, big man..." he said slowly. "Let's say I agree to join up with you. Let's say I actually do believe in what you preach. What's in it for me?"

Rouge smiled thinly beneath his helmet. "I can offer you two things." he said, raising his hand and extending a finger. "The first is a chance for Neopolitan to live an earnest life. Her record erased and a scholarship at any Huntsman Academy of her choosing."

"Whoa, back up a sec." the mobster held up his hands, a heay frown on his face. "You do realize how long that girl's rap sheet is, right? I dunno what kind of connections you have, but there is no way in hell you can just erase all of that." And he wasn't joking. The amount of crimes that beautiful girl had on her belt was quite the list. Didn't measure up to his, though. "Not even Junior's got that kind of sway."

"Let's leave it to having more connections."

"Okay, fine. What's the second thing?"

The young boy's smile turned dark, raising his middle finger. "The man who left you to die."

 _ **Pieces are placed on the battlefield, ready to topple at any second.**_

"What is this stuff?" a lowly thug asked, holding up a small vial that contained the liquid – the fruits of their labor. "Some kind of new drug?"

Verid chuckled as she took the vial away from him, cradling it in her hand with care. "This stuff is going to be what'll separate us from the rest of the cartels." she said simply with a dangerous look on her face. "Tell me, Ao. Do you have any good memories?"

"Uh, yeah, kinda." the thug, Ao, nodded. "Why?"

"Would you believe me if I told this drug could let you relive those memories?"

 _ **Two people try and outsmart each other, playing for keeps – one side wanting to protect his pieces and the other wanting to obliterate them.**_

"Zero has friends in high places." Watts spoke as he sat across from Cinder, legs crossed and hands folded. "Between hacking into the CTT and disabling security systems belonging to some of the most wealthiest of companies, he's quite equipped. Added to his charisma, and he's quite the force to be reckoned with." He took a sip of the tea Emerald had prepared. It was a bit sour to his liking, but he was willing to give the street rat props. "Still, he's a thorn in our side. Him hacking into the CTT for that broadcast message has led to the council choosing to strengthen their firewalls. At best, the virus will only let you into a few patches of their security."

The amber-eyed woman leaned back, arms across her chest. "And will this be before the dance party at Beacon begins, or after?"

"A little bit of both." the man answered. "The party will be your only opportunity to hack into it. Better to have some cards on the table than none at all." He took another sip before his eyes narrowed. "I doubt I have to remind you how important this job is."

Cinder repressed a scowl. "I'm fully aware."

"Remember, dear Cinder, _both_ of our necks are on the line here."

 _ **But neither recognize that one of their pieces intends to fight back against them both.**_

"Who are you, exactly?" Rouge asked with his eyebrow hidden among his bangs. He was confused as to why someone like her, a CEO of a well-known corporation, would want to speak with him. His paranoia told him to be weary, but a small part of him actually felt comfortable in her presence. How strange. This was their first meeting...wasn't it?

Despite him actually knowing the answer, something she picked up on, she gave a low smile. "I suppose I did forget to introduce myself. My name is Cecaniah Lamperouge, but please, call me C.C." Her smile curved, causing a shudder to run across his spine. Electricty danced along his back as her finger trailed along his cheek. In the background, Yang tensed. "It is quite the pleasure, Rouge Rose."

 _ **History has it's eyes on you, you know. Every action you make will change everything you know. Such is the nature of your power.**_

"T-Turn the lights back on! Quickly!"

Feet scrambled to get the lights back on as quickly as possible. The head thugs were tense as they looked around, keeping their firearms primed and ready. The fact that the lights cut out like that worried them without end. Something was happening. The lights eventually came back on, and when it did, they were quick to notice that there were newfound occupants in the warehouse.

A group had collected up on the catwalk, bearing down on them like prey. Men and women dressed in various clothing, some even possessing animalistic features, but they all shared one thing in common: an ebony Grimm mask with dark purple markings and a black jacket with silver trims. Two people in particular stood out among the group: one was a female with long black hair with cat ears atop her head. Her jacket's hem ended at her stomach and the left sleeve was rolled up to the forearm. The upper half of her face was hidden behind a similar mask as the rest. The second was male, though compared to the rest his jacket resembled more of a coat with a hood pulled over his face, strands of electric blue hair poking out while a mask covered his entire face.

Unlike his companion, who was straight and proper with her sword out, the male was leaning on the railing, casually resting one arm on it while the other was raised up, holding a dancing blue flame in his hand.

Of course, what drew their attention the most was the single figure amid the crowd: a cape wrapped around him like the wings of a bat, a cravat at the neck while wearing a purple suit. The most defining feature being the black mask with a purple orb in the center, gazing down upon them with intent.

All those in attendance knew who they were.

"Y-you are-!"

 _ **The Power of the King will condemn you to solitude. Are you prepared for that burden, like you were before?**_

"You have the world's attention right now." Raven said as she leaned against the wall, arms folded. "Now what will you do?"

"My plans haven't changed in the slightest." Rouge answered, eyes narrowed and focused on the screen of his computer. It was flooded with all sorts of information, gathered by Adam and Edan respectively. They were reports of vital pieces of intelligence that he would make good use of. "Of course, it's how I'll handle the problem that will determine whether or not everything succeeds."

The woman smirked. "As arrogant and confident as ever, I see." she remarked with a tinge of curiosity. "Where did you get that from? Qrow? Or perhaps Summer and Tai?"

"Like you don't know." the heterochromatic teen retorted. He clicked on one of the reports – a plan to hijack the CTT and spread fear and negativity when the time was right. "My opponents are a man who's lived for centuries and a woman who can control the Grimm. Arrogance and confidence have nothing to do with my attitude."

"Yet you've face no one of their caliber. How can you be so sure that you'll succeed?"

His fingers paused. Slowly, he turned his head. For a moment, the woman saw it. A small second had left one of his eyes turning into a ruby red color, glittering while an avian sigil danced around the pupil.

"Because I have no choice. From the moment I accepted my fate, there was no going back." Rouge answered. Then a cold sneer formed across his face. "If I'm remembered as the man who destroyed the world, so be it. I will destroy this twisted world." Then he spoke softly, so low she almost couldn't hear him. "For her sake..."

In the past, she would have sneered and laughed at him for being so soft-hearted. However, she could say that she wasn't much better. A small part of her, however insignificant, still cared for Yang. Enough that she would protect her if the time ever came. However, she did not consider it to be kindness. It was simply a Rule. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Still, it was a shame. Rouge would have made an excellent Branwen.

 _"Of course I am. After all, I made a deal with a Witch."_

At this moment, the world knew his name and trembled.

At this moment, the world knew his power and cowered.

At this moment, the world knew his ambition and feared him.

All eyes were on him. In the background, the pompous fool who had played him for a fool was standing idly by, completely under his command as he listened and obeyed. Outside, his forces had already claimed victory. This was but the mere icing atop the cake.

"As of this moment," he spoke with ferver, violet eyes blazing and a smile on par with the Devil himself. "The world belongs to me!"

 **The Zero Hour is Approaching...**

* * *

 _A preview for what is to come, my friends. Sadly, it won't be for a while. We're still flushing and planning out the events of Act II, but in the meantime, I have some good news for you all._

 _Sometime this month or the next month, I will be posting a new story called "Black Rebellion: Chess Pieces." It is a collection of side-stories that connects to Black Rebellion, filling in on some plot holes and gaps._

 _Look forward to it's release, as the first side-story will cover the events of "Jaunedice" and "Forever Fall."_

 _Be ready, rebels! And Peace Out!_


	11. A Message from a Black Fang Seargent

THE FUCK ARE YOU STANDING HERE, SOLDIER?!

WE'RE MOVING OUT!

BLACK REBELLION, ACT II, IS NOW UP AND RUNNING!

THE CO IS CALLING FOR ALL HANDS ON DECK!

MOVE YOUR ASSES!


End file.
